On the next Probably True Solar Stories, twenty homes on the same cul de sac decide to go solar on the day after a Halloween night blackout. It’s a simple story, but when a young reporter looks into it, he gets the Halloween scoop of his short lifetime.

True Solar Takeaways

• Going solar is "contagious." That is, several studies have shown that when one person in a neighborhood goes solar, nearby homes follow.
• Blackouts often happen during a heatwave when energy-intensive air conditioning overwhelms the grid.
• In 2023, most solar homes need to add batteries to be cost-effective and to get a payback in 7 to 10 years.
• Whole-home backup is expensive and rare. Most of the time, solar + storage systems are tied to batteries with a critical loads panel. 
• This critical loads subpanel will automatically switch on when there's a blackout. This panel is designed to keep on lights, the internet, the refrigerator, and other critical loads during a grid outage.
• When switching from off-grid to on-grid power--or visa-versa-- there may be a brief interruption of service. Most of the time, the switch is seamless.
• Turning on air conditioning, EV charging, and other high-intensity appliances will quickly drain a home battery's capacity. That's why air conditioners are rarely included in the critical loads panel. 
• Listen to last year's Halloween story called, "We didn't know our solar house was haunted until we got a text from the ghost.

-----

• Visit ProbablyTrueSolar.com to sign up for the newsletter to learn about new episodes and live solar storytelling events.
• Support the show by visiting the merch store and buying a tee shirt!
• Learn how sponsors can be a part of Probably True Solar Stories and tell their own creative stories.
• Follow @SolarFred and/or @ProbTrueSolar on Twitter to discuss episodes
• Don't forget to:
  • Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast streaming service
  • Rate
  • Review, and
  • Share!