Recently, Seattle was hit by another "bomb cyclone," a rare storm that occurs only once every decade, causing widespread power outages and disruptions to daily life. According to reports from local radio stations, at its peak, over 800,000 households in the Seattle area were left without electricity. Fortunately, our family had prepared for such an eventuality, so we were able to carry on with minimal disruption. We had access to lighting, hot water, and cooking facilities throughout.
This article aims to summarize our experience in a systematic way, drawing on lessons learned from this latest disaster.
Evolution of Our Power System
Our emergency power system has undergone several iterations. While our previous system was not inadequate, it was designed for smaller households and had limitations that we wanted to address. By building on the foundation of our old system, we were able to refine our design and create a more robust solution.
Our first prototype consisted of a simple generator paired with a 1 kWh battery pack. The battery was primarily used to charge devices like laptops, smartphones, and camping lanterns. Lighting came from the camping lanterns, while internet access was provided by our mobile phones. When the battery ran out of power, we could recharge it using the generator. This basic setup was sufficient for singles or couples, but longer power outages required us to supplement with generator power.
There aren't many pitfalls to watch out for in this setup, but one thing that requires attention is the generator. We're using an inverter generator that runs on propane. An inverter generator is a type of generator that produces AC power through an inverter, resulting in higher-quality electricity (more stable, better waveform, and more HiFi 😂). Additionally, it's smaller, lighter, and quieter than traditional generators, although it's slightly pricier.
Most generators run on gasoline, but gasoline has its drawbacks. If not used within a few months, gasoline can degrade and affect performance. Moreover, gasoline is corrosive and can damage the fuel system if not properly drained when not in use. To avoid these issues, we opted for a dual-fuel generator that can run on both gasoline and propane. Propane doesn't have these problems; it's stable, non-corrosive, and can be stored long-term. Although its energy density is slightly lower, resulting in slightly reduced power output, propane is still a great choice for home emergency use.
As the household size increases, so do the demands on our setup. For instance, refrigerators require continuous power, and multiple rooms need more than just camping lanterns for lighting. To address these needs, we developed our second iteration. We increased the number of battery packs and focused on DC power to boost efficiency. Ecoflow's inverter generator can directly charge their battery packs (any XT60-compatible pack should work), which are efficient and have a high output capacity. Their batteries can also supply 12V DC power for car fridges, photography lights, routers, and other accessories. Laptops and PD devices also use DC charging. By using DC power from the generator to the devices, efficiency is significantly improved, allowing us to charge once and last throughout the day. Plus, we still don't need to modify our home electrical circuitry or obtain permits and inspections.
So why do we insist on using battery packs instead of directly connecting the generator to our home electrical circuit? The main reason is noise pollution. Even small, low-power inverter generators can be loud enough to disturb sleep at night. After experiencing the noise firsthand, we decided to use battery packs for nighttime power supply. Moreover, generators are inherently hazardous due to their internal combustion engine, which poses risks like carbon monoxide poisoning or accidental fires from hot exhaust gases. These incidents have occurred before. Therefore, running a generator unattended while sleeping doesn't give us peace of mind. This is another reason we prefer the hybrid approach using both generators and battery packs.
Our Current System
As our household size continued to grow, our previous system became inadequate. For instance, with multiple family members and caregivers living together, each person needed their own battery pack, which was cumbersome to manage. So, for our third iteration, we decided to modify our home electrical circuitry. This upgrade required hiring a professional electrician, but no permits were necessary (although an inspection might be required). I can provide more technical details if you're interested, but the simplest way to explain it is that we added a physical lock (interlock) to ensure that either the generator or the grid power could supply electricity, but not both simultaneously. We also installed an outlet that connects to our massive "battery pack."
This battery pack has several options available, such as Tesla's Powerwall. We chose Ecoflow's Delta Pro because it was about half the price and portable enough to take on camping trips. I also have a solar panel system with an MPPT controller built into the Ecoflow battery pack, which can be used as an off-grid power system. Our 15kWh system, including electrical circuit modifications, cost around $13,000, but it provides our family with reliable power throughout the day. We only need to charge it once a day. This system was instrumental during the recent multi-day power outage.
Since our water heater and stove run on natural gas, they require minimal electricity for control. So cooking and hot water weren't affected by the power outage. Our home lighting and internal network functioned normally, making life relatively convenient. However, we had to limit high-power appliances like air conditioning (we don't use furnace) and clothes dryers. We also couldn't use our dishwasher due to its unexpectedly high energy consumption (1-2 kW!). But using high-power devices for short periods was fine, such as microwaving milk or using a hair dryer.
Regarding solar power, our system wasn't very useful during the power outage since it's usually cloudy when the grid is down, and sunny days don't coincide with outages. However, there's a federal tax credit for solar panel systems that allows us to claim 30% of the installation cost back as a refund. Since Ecoflow's solar controller and battery are integrated, our entire system qualified for this program, effectively reducing the cost by one-third. Note that if you're only using the system for energy storage without solar panels, you may not be eligible for this tax credit.
New Challenges
The recent multi-day power outage in Seattle exposed some new issues. None of them were major problems, but I'd like to share my thoughts. First, let's talk about fuel. We use 15-pound propane tanks for our generator. After this test, we found that one tank can support 1-2 days of household usage, equivalent to 15-20 kWh of electricity. A single tank costs around $30 at a physical store and $20 online. We usually keep three tanks on hand, which should last us about a week.
Next, the network issue was unexpected. Due to the large-scale power outage, all major service providers' backup power sources were depleted, leaving most of Seattle without internet access except for the city center (where underground cables were unaffected). Our home network system is quite advanced, with three mobile networks on hot standby, but we still experienced significant disruptions. Occasionally, we'd get lucky and have a signal from one operator (not sure which one), allowing us to send and receive messages. The lack of internet actually had some benefits – our family's schedule became very healthy, with early bedtimes and wake-up times! However, it was challenging for me as a salaryman, as I couldn't work remotely.
We're now considering getting a Starlink satellite network. However, we have concerns about the cost and speed. It would be an expensive solution that only provides value when there's no other signal available. Spending tens of dollars per month to maintain an account that might only be used for a few days a year doesn't seem worth it. (Update: after more research, we found that Starlink's roam plan does have a pause service option, so we ended up getting one.)
Another unexpected issue was navigation. Since the power outage occurred during windy weather without snow, roads remained accessible, but online maps and navigation services were unavailable (I had previously downloaded offline maps, but they didn't sync with my new phone). This taught me to download or update offline maps before such events occur. Practicing human navigation skills is also essential.
We've also discussed whether having an electric vehicle would be more convenient in such situations. From a mobility perspective, EVs seem less practical than gasoline-powered cars. Many charging stations lost power, and the few that remained operational were overcrowded. Gas stations had long lines, but at least we could refuel. However, from a household power perspective, having an electric vehicle with external power output capabilities (like the F-150) would be equivalent to having a massive portable battery pack, making life much easier during outages. On the other hand, if you only have one pure electric vehicle, it may compromise your ability to cope with risks during power outages.
In conclusion, if you want to improve your experience during extended power outages, I recommend investing in a comprehensive system that includes a generator, energy storage, and household power distribution. When designing such a system, prioritize long-term stability and reliability, even when not in use – it's always better to be prepared.
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