“Darkness, I see darkness! I see darkness!” – this popular quote from the classics of Polish cinema may appear more often next winter than just in knowledge quizzes about old films. How to prepare for power outages and, even better, minimize the risk of their occurrence? Here are some proven methods.
From this article you will learn:
- what is blackout
- how to save energy
- how to protect key devices in the event of a power outage,
- why "running forward" is the best solution.
What is a blackout?
Blackout is a period during which the supply of electricity to a given area is suddenly interrupted. It may have various causes, such as problems with the power grid, unfavorable weather conditions or technical failures.
This state of affairs is very burdensome for residents and companies. Lack of electrical power can cause problems with communication, heating, lighting and food processing. Additionally, it may contribute to a safety hazard in the event of a power failure for alarm or monitoring devices.
If, nomen omen, the worst-case scenarios come true, electricity will be horrendously expensive or there will be no electricity at all , so it is worth using all available methods to reduce energy consumption. It is also worth purchasing additional UPS power supplies that will protect your company and household against damage to valuable equipment or loss of sensitive data . We invite you to an overview of solutions that will help you get through the upcoming energy crisis.
How to save energy in the face of a blackout?
The first step is to save energy. Thanks to the widespread replacement of traditional light sources, mainly conventional light bulbs, with lighting systems based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in recent years and the improvement of the energy efficiency of many electrical devices, part of this process took place without our active participation. Even the most energy-efficient lighting fixtures or equipment with the A+++ mark (by the way, maybe it would be worth updating and "moving" the scale to avoid multiplying plus signs) will not be enough if their users do not develop and consolidate the habit of turning them off when not needed. are needed . We believe that many people have already developed appropriate habits, but it is still worth striving for improvement, especially considering the prospect of voltage drops in the network.
There may be situations when even the strictest savings regime is not enough and the light goes out . And we don't literally mean the light itself - it will simply turn off everything powered by electricity. Absolutely everything, including urban infrastructure, on which more depends than we realize on a daily basis. It is known that it is impossible to maintain the operation of entire production lines or logistics centers, but you can save e.g. databases so as not to lose accounting information, order history and other valuable digital documents. Suddenly it turns out that the idea of a "paperless office", despite its undoubted advantages, also has its shadows...
UPS uninterruptible power supplies as a solution to the lack of electricity
UPS power supplies will come to the rescue in the short term, allowing you to save sensitive data and safely shut down the system when the "last kilowatt hour" hits. However, they are only a buffer, a cushion that protects you from bruising yourself in the event of an inevitable fall. Moreover, due to limited energy capacity, UPSs only support key devices whose power consumption is generally relatively low anyway. Nevertheless, they provide sufficient time to start the generator or generators , although these provide power at an increasingly higher cost due to expensive fuel. Faced with a choice between lack of power supply and the high cost of power supply, many companies and institutions will choose the latter, but maybe there is another solution?
Check out the offer of UPS power supplies at the Onninen wholesaler
Will the expansion of photovoltaics with energy storage protect us against a blackout?
It is, although difficult to apply from day to day. It is a photovoltaic installation connected to an energy storage unit , i.e. a set of high-capacity batteries . Such a system makes a company, institution or house independent of the public power grid on a daily basis and ensures support and even continuity of operation (at least in selected areas) in the event of a drop or complete loss of voltage. Of course, not in all conditions it is possible to create your own solar "power plant" with sufficient storage capacity to make completely abandoning the connection to the national transmission system a viable option (panels require large areas and, along with energy storage, they cost money), but taking into account the increasingly widespread use of this type of solutions (even despite unfavorable changes in the method of settling surpluses in the 2022 season), photovoltaics can easily be included among "anti-blackout" solutions . We believe that in many cases it is enough to expand existing installations .
Check out the offer of energy banks at the Onninen wholesaler
Dark times lie ahead. Literally! While at home you can switch to sitting by candles or kerosene lamps and this has its charm, the impact of electricity shortages on the economy may turn out to be significant and very negative . We hope that many companies have correctly read the signals appearing in the spring of 2022 indicating impending problems with providing sufficient amounts of energy and have prepared properly. Hopefully the others will be able to react in time, ensuring that they can maintain smooth operations and survive until the situation stabilizes. If the forecasts for the coming months are a dark tunnel, we wish everyone that there will be light at the end of it as soon as possible!