SILICON
SILIC
CHIP
www.siliconchip.com.au
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Nicholas Vinen
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John Clarke, B.E.(Elec.)
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ISSN 1030-2662
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Editorial Viewpoint
You need blackout and disaster plans
Our feature article in this issue (page 10) is on the
topic of domestic backup power systems. I actually
wrote this a couple of months ago, but we didn’t have
room to fit it until now. That’s a pity, because it could
have helped tens of thousands of Sydneysiders who
were without power for up to a week after the brief but
destructive storm on the 26th of November.
Our office is in the Northern Beaches area, where
1900 homes lost power, with some still blacked out a week later. Luckily we
were spared. The office lights flickered a few times as the storm shot through,
and I sensed that we could lose power at any time. We did not – but many
others were not so lucky.
This goes to show that even if you live in the heart of a major city, you
are not immune from extended blackouts. Where a natural event causes
widespread damage, repair crews (which may be insufficiently staffed due
to cutbacks) end up spread too thin. That means that it can take a long time
for them to get around to restoring power to your area.
But in this case, without getting into the politics, surely there are many
legitimate questions, deserving answers, regarding the length of time restoration has taken following what amounted to a fairly localised weather event
in the nation’s largest city.
And if the pundits are to be believed, we can expect significant load shedding this summer (particularly January and February) in the Eastern states
as generating capacity continues to decline.
You should have a plan to deal with power outages, in case it happens to
you. And it could happen at any time.
The backup power article attempts to cover a variety of ways that you can
keep the lights on, and your fridge running – enough that you can live moreor-less normally with the power out; for some time, at least.
Those who have a bit more time and money to spend on preparation could
potentially come up with a plan to keep going for weeks, if necessary. And
as recent events showed, it’s hardly far-fetched to expect that if the power
does go out, it could be out for a long time, regardless of where you live.
It’s also a good idea to keep plenty of water or other long-lived drinkable
fluids on hand, along with food that won’t easily spoil. A severe disaster
could prevent you from getting food and drink for some time due to supply problems.
This will also help if you can’t keep your fridge cold during an extended
blackout; at least you will still have food after the uneaten contents have
spoiled.
If you live in a bushfire-prone area, it would be an especially good idea to
have large rainwater storage tanks along with pumps that will let you spray
that water even without mains power. A petrol-powered water pump (and
plenty of hose!) is ideal. But an electric pump with battery backup is better
than nothing; at least you would be able to wet the area around your house.
I hope it also goes without saying that if you are in a bushfire-prone area,
you also need to have an escape plan. If the experts can’t stop a fire, you
probably can’t either. Having said that, there are plenty of cases where homeowners – whether by good luck or good management – were able to save
their properties (and in some cases, their neighbours’).
The bottom line is that it’s better to be prepared. I hope that my article
gives you some ideas as to what you might need to ‘ride out’ a blackout (or
worse), and more importantly, spurs those who have not really thought about
it deeply, to do something, before it’s too late!
Nicholas Vinen
24-26 Lilian Fowler Pl, Marrickville 2204
2
Silicon Chip
Australia’s electronics magazine
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