Mitigating the Risks of Extreme Weather Through Clean Energy: A Solar Series Part 2: Hurricanes
Hurricanes: Building Back Better with Local Solar
If you live somewhat near a coast, you’re all too familiar with hurricane season. Affecting states along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, and landlocked states surrounding them, hurricane season runs from early summer to late fall. This year, hurricane season started with the destructive Hurricane Beryl, becoming the earliest category 5 hurricane on record this July. The Climate Prediction Center predicts 17 to 24 named storms in the Atlantic, of which 8 to 13 could become hurricanes, and 4 to 7 become major hurricanes at a category 3 or higher. This is a stark increase compared to the historical average.
Natural disasters like hurricanes can disrupt entire communities, knocking out power and damaging critical infrastructure. As these events become more frequent and intense, the need for resiliency is greater than ever. Local solar offers a promising approach to help communities recover faster and be better prepared for future storms.
Powering Through the Storm
Hurricanes bring strong winds, heavy rain, and widespread flooding, often damaging traditional energy infrastructure like power lines and substations. This can leave communities without electricity for days or even weeks, slowing recovery efforts and putting lives at risk.
Local solar, such as solar panels paired with batteries, play a vital role during these events. Unlike large, centralized power plants, vulnerable to storm damage, local solar is flexible. Solar panels installed on homes and businesses, combined with batteries, can store energy and provide power even when the main energy system goes down. After hurricanes, these systems can keep essential services–like hospitals and shelters–running, while larger-scale repairs are being made.
Resilience hubs, which can also be powered by the sun, are safe places for relief during an extreme weather event. These facilities are meant to support residents of a community and coordinate resources before, during, and after an extreme event. As per their design, resilience hubs can equitably enhance resilience while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving local quality of life.
Microgrids, which are small and independent energy networks, can disconnect from the main energy system during an outage. In hurricane-prone areas, microgrids powered by clean energy sources can be deployed to restore electricity quickly and provide reliable backup power. This reduces the impact of long outages and helps communities bounce back faster.
A Resilient Future Powered by Local Solar
With an increasing risk of hurricanes and other extreme weather events, we need energy systems that are both adaptable and resilient. Local solar proves to be essential in helping communities recover and thrive after these events.
By investing in and expanding local solar, we can reduce our reliance on centralized energy systems that are vulnerable to the effects of destructive storms. We can build stronger and more self-sufficient communities. As we continue to explore and develop these technologies, it’s clear that local solar is critical to ensuring a more resilient and clean future in a rapidly warming climate.
Coming Soon – Exploring Earthquake Preparedness: Stay tuned for our upcoming blog, where we will cover how local solar plays a crucial role in earthquake preparedness and recovery. From decentralized power systems to resilient microgrids, find out how local solar can make a difference in the aftermath of a seismic event.