Keeping the Lights On When The Power Goes
disaster prep

Keeping the Lights On When The Power Goes

How to keep from plunging into darkness when your utility company cuts the power to your city.
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By Scott Rank
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You never know when your utility company will cut the power. Suddenly your house goes dark, your fridge shuts off, and you wonder if services will come back on before your food spoils.

Such an incident happened on October 8, 2019, when the Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced hundreds of thousands would lose electricity for due to an impending natural disaster. Power isn't scheduled to resume until the severe weather event is over. 

Here's more from the San Francisco Business Times:

In a major unprecedented move, PG&E will shut off power to nearly 800,000 customers [in California] in a bid to prevent the risk of wildfire in the wake of projected severe wind events hitting the state this week. 

Convalescent facilities and retirement homes are key businesses that could be seriously impacted, said Kathe Nelson, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in Moraga, which sits in the middle of PG&E’s shut-off zone. Nelson said any facility that administers oxygen for its patients could be impacted. She also noted that food spoilage would likely be an issue for small restaurants and eateries. 

The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District is currently assessing and reaching out to the kinds of facilities that would be the most at risk, Public Information Officer Steve Hill said. “It’s not the hospitals and the bigger places — it’s the smaller care facilities that might not have backup power and might be able to weather a short outage but not one that lasts three to five days,” said Hill, adding that retirement communities in Rossmoor, where the elderly use medical devices that require power, would likely be negatively impacted.

What would you do if your utility company announced that the power would be out in a few hours and might not be back on for days (if even then?). How can you prepare for when all the lights go out and entire cities are plunged into darkness?

Emergency Lights for When the Grid Goes Dark

Here at GoSun we believe in getting away from grid dependency in every way possible, whether it comes to cookers, coolers, or lights. One of the best lights to ride out power outages is the The Sun King Pro

 

The Sun King Pro defines the industry's gold standard in affordable solar-powered lanterns. It provides up to 100 hours of light on low mode charge. The Pro is also much more versatile than an incandescent or LED light, featuring a 360-degree tilt. Plus, it includes a solar panel and USB connector that can charge your phone, table, camera, GPS, and other USB devices. The last part is crucial, as keeping your phone charged is a critical part of disaster prep (America has updated its cellular networks to stay on during natural disasters).

This home or travel accession includes the following products features: 
  • 2.7W solar panel that charges Sun King in as little as 6 hours
  • 16.4 ft of cable to connect solar panel and Sun King
  • Detachable light stand
  • 40x brighter than kerosene
  • 100 hours of light on low mode
  • Perfect for camping, RV, and emergency

Click here to learn more about solar lighting.

Want to learn more? Click here to check out our ultimate guide to solar lights.

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