Wouldn't it be great if you didn't have to rely on the Texas power grid?

Image by Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay
Image by Igor Ovsyannykov from Pixabay
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It's Happening

It seems like both a step back and a step forward at the same time, but the Federal Reserve Bank Of Dallas is reporting that more Texans are building thier own microgrids. Texans are notoriously independent, and having your own powergrid could just the ticket to survive a harsh winter.

Why Now?

Texas is a land of extremes, and we see it in warnings from ERCOT. We see "peak usage" bulletins during some of the hottest summer days and of course, we had a massive grid failure that resulted in some people dying.  Portions of the state also deal with tornados, hurricanes, flooding, and other weather related events, any of which could result in a power interruptions.

Not Complex

In most cases, microgrids aren't as complex as the name. They usually just entail a way to generate, distribute and sometimes store electricity, from any number of sources. "Doing it yourself" could prove to be expensive, but if you've got concerns about the statewide grid, it could prove worthwhile.

How To Start

Many of us just resort to a small generator. Most will power a few lights, a small heater, and keep some of our devices charged. In most cases it would take a much larger device to keep refrigerators running, or to be able to do a load of laundry.  There are any number of resources available if you want to seriously consider building your own microgrid.

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