The Blackouts That Sparked My Solar Journey
It started with a simple conversation in our household. “If PG&E cuts the power, we’re moving,” my wife insisted, her tone dead serious. This was late 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic turned our world upside down, and Californians were bracing for another season of devastating wildfires. PG&E, the utility company serving the northern two-thirds of the state, had already announced it would be implementing intentional blackouts as a stopgap measure against the annual threat.
Our home had already weathered a four-day outage earlier that year, and we knew we were in for more. As the conversation progressed from hand-wringing to solution-seeking, the obvious answer emerged: solar power. Prices had come down, efficiency had gone up, and it just made sense, both financially and for the sake of our sanity, to consider going off-grid.
But I quickly discovered that solar alone wouldn’t be the panacea. When the grid goes down, so do your solar panels – a safety feature to prevent current from flowing back through the transmission wires. That’s when the idea of a backup battery system really started to take shape. With a battery bank in our garage, we could draw power directly from it during an outage, and our solar panels could keep it charged.
Navigating the Solar and Battery Maze
My wife and I started crunching the numbers. The typical payback period for a hybrid solar-and-battery system is usually pegged at about seven to 10 years, which sounded reasonable. I reached out to Electriq Power, a California-based energy storage company, and they connected me with Symmetric Energy, a local solar installer, to handle the project.
The process was not without its challenges. Obtaining the necessary permits and approvals took months, and COVID-19 only added to the bureaucratic nightmare. But by April, the installation was complete, and we were finally able to start reaping the benefits of our off-grid setup.
The Highs and Lows of Going Solar
The first few months were exhilarating. Our solar panels were producing a staggering amount of energy – up to 35 kilowatt-hours on a long, sunny summer day. The Electriq Power app gave us real-time insights into our energy usage, with sleek graphs and charts that made us feel like we were living in the future.
But the reality was a bit more complicated. While my May 2020 electricity bill was down 54% compared to the previous year, and my October bill (the first to include net energy metering) was down 60%, some of our summer bills were actually higher than in 2019. With everyone working and schooling from home, our energy consumption had skyrocketed.
And then there were the limitations of our battery system. We quickly learned that we could only power a select few “critical” circuits in the event of a blackout, leaving the air conditioning, oven, and other major appliances in the dark. The batteries also struggled to recharge fully on cloudy days, forcing us to rely more on the grid.
The Realities of Off-Grid Living
As the months went on, the honeymoon phase wore off, and I started to realize that our solar-and-battery system wasn’t the panacea I had hoped for. The savings just weren’t materializing as quickly as I’d expected, and the 17-year payback period was a far cry from the nine years I’d initially been promised.
But the peace of mind the battery backup provided was undeniable. When the power inevitably went out, the system kicked in seamlessly, keeping our essential circuits running without so much as a blink. And with the threat of wildfires and grid instability looming, that insurance policy was becoming increasingly valuable.
There were other challenges, too. The solar panels needed regular cleaning to maintain their efficiency, and the battery cooling system could be noisy at times. And while the system was designed to last for decades, there was always the lingering worry about degradation and the eventual need for replacements.
Is Going Off-Grid Right for You?
So, is going off-grid with solar the right move for you? It’s a complex question without a simple answer. For us, the decision has been a mixed bag, with both highs and lows. The financial savings haven’t materialized as quickly as we’d hoped, but the peace of mind and increased self-sufficiency have been invaluable, especially in these uncertain times.
Ultimately, it comes down to your specific needs, your budget, and your tolerance for the inherent challenges of an off-grid lifestyle. Solar As Systems Inc. can help you navigate the process, providing expert guidance and customized solutions to ensure you make the best decision for your home and your family.
So if you’re tired of the grid’s unreliability, if you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint, or if you simply want a little more control over your energy destiny, going off-grid with solar might just be the right move for you. But be prepared for a journey that’s equal parts exhilarating and frustrating, with plenty of surprises along the way.
