In Fall 2019, PG&E's planned power shutoffs left tens of thousands of San José residents and businesses without power for multiple days. PG&E estimates that its shutoffs will continue to occur over the next five years. Contact online >>
In Fall 2019, PG&E''s planned power shutoffs left tens of thousands of San José residents and businesses without power for multiple days. PG&E estimates that its shutoffs will continue to occur over the next five years.
San José Clean Energy is focused on sharing resources and helping residents and businesses understand how they can prepare for future PG&E power shutoffs.
To power your home during a PG&E power shutoff, lithium-ion batteries are the primary clean energy storage solution on the market at this time. When paired with rooftop solar, excess solar energy produced by your panels can be stored for later use in batteries for backup of critical loads in your house. Visit Energy Sage or see this presentation from Redwood Coast Energy Authority, a fellow Community Choice Energy provider, to learn how battery backup can work for you.
Unless you have battery storage and special inverter designed to "island" during a PG&E power shutoff, your rooftop solar system will not power your home. The main reason is to protect utility workers from solar power flowing back onto the grid during power outages.
A well-designed backup power system will power the essential loads in your house overnight, and will recharge from solar every morning when the sun comes up. These essential loads include appliances such as your refrigerator, lights, internet, TV and convenience outlets. However, since there is limited battery storage capacity, these systems cannot power large appliances such as air conditioning, electric stoves and EVs. Check out this GreenTech Media article on how much of your home a battery system can really power.
Yes, but the main disadvantage is that during a PG&E power shutoff, you would not be able to recharge the battery from the grid while the grid connection to your home is shut off.
Keep in mind that adding a battery storage system could require electrical upgrades to your home. Adding a battery storage system would not require the existing solar system to be re-permitted or re- inspected unless there are additional solar panels being installed.
Portable power stations, also known as battery-powered inverter generators or portable batteries, are an additional backup power option that is clean with no direct emissions from the battery. They typically have enough capacity to power only a few small appliances for a short time (see table below).
Charging can be done by plugging the portable power station into the wall before a planned PG&E power shutoff or for some products, by connecting to a compatible portable solar panel.
Current models of battery electric vehicles (BEV) typically have a battery capacity of 40 to 66 kilowatt hour (kWh). Some models have a capacity up to 100 kWh, making them four to seven times larger than a residential home battery. Using BEVs as a backup power source is currently not market-ready but is expected to be a solution as State regulators work on the protocols for vehicle-to-grid integration. Many industry experts see the potential for BEVs to provide backup power and they may do so in the future.
To prepare for a PG&E power shutoff when the lights go out and you do not have disposable batteries, consider a hand crank lantern which will mechanically charge a battery. Costs range typically from $20 to $80. Many lanterns will include a USB port to charge small electronic devices like cell phones.
Diesel generators have been the traditional solution for backup power for homes and buildings and typically cost between $6,000 to $8,000 for a system similar in size to a battery system paired with solar. A smaller sized generator (typically gasoline powered), similar in power capacity to a portable power station, can cost between $200 to $600.
While widely available in the market, diesel or gasoline generators have major drawbacks in terms of health (air quality issues and potential for carbon monoxide poisoning), safety (sparking fires), and climate impacts (increased greenhouse gas emissions). Further, fossil fuel generators rely on fuel supplies, which may become scarce during planned power shutoffs, emergencies, and other periods of high demand.
If you plan on installing a battery storage system to your home, it could be eligible for the federal tax credit as long as the battery is only charged with onsite renewable energy (rooftop solar). As of August 2022, credits on home battery storage have increased to 30% and have been extended through 2032. In addition, standalone storage is now also eligible for the 30% tax credit.
The Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC) provides support to customers that rely on power to operate life-sustaining medical devices. SVILC''s portable battery program will provide access to backup portable batteries to qualifying customers who use electrical medical devices. Individuals who use life-sustaining electrical support will be our highest priority and supplies are limited.
As a Community Choice Energy program, we''re committed to adding renewable energy to the grid and finding solutions to improve reliability for the health of our customers and planet. We build and source clean electricity for you so just by being our customer, you''re helping to improve air quality, reduce pollution, and fight climate change.
We don''t have to charge extra to generate a profit or pay dividends to shareholders, which helps keep our prices competitive and stable. Plus, we invest in local programs that create value for all residents here in San José.
SJCE is governed by your San José City Council, with input from a Community Advisory Commission. All SJCE decisions are made by Council during public meetings, where customers are welcome to speak and give feedback:
SJCE is part of a group of Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs), also known as Community Choice Energy (CCE) programs, serving more than 11 million customers in over 200 counties, cities, and towns in California. More CCAs will be formed in the near future.
CCAs provide competitively priced clean energy options to customers and reinvest revenues into our communities to achieve greenhouse gas reductions and health benefits. CCAs will continue to collectively make progress toward a clean energy future by investing in long term projects that will result in more than 11,000 megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy for the California grid.
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