Power outages are becoming more common across the U.S. In fact, major outages have increased as much as 64% since the early 2000s, leaving communities grappling with disruption to daily life. For some, an outage is an inconvenience. You can't watch your favorite TV show, or charge your devices. For others, it can be life-threatening. Hospitals can't provide life-saving care, or people can't use their home medical devices. With no signs of outages abating anytime soon, let's take a look at why they're on the rise and what you can do to minimize the impact on your home.
Much of the electric grid was built in the 1960s and '70s and is approaching the end of its typical lifespan. Nearly three-quarters (70%) of transmission lines, for example, are over 25 years old and near the end of their 50 to 60 year lifespan. As the grid gets older, it's becoming less resilient and more vulnerable to soaring electricity demand and extreme weather events that can lead to widespread outages.
Factors such as rising populations, climate change and increased electrification are exacerbating an already fragile grid, as the need for electricity soars. Over the next five years, demand for power is expected to grow far more than originally expected, by as much as 4.7%, compared to a previous estimate of 2.6%.
Alongside this is an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather, such as wildfires, storms and heatwaves. Heat waves now happen three times more often than they used to and heatwave season now lasts 46 days longer than in the 1960s. Of all the major U.S. power outages reported from 2000 to 2023, as many as 80% were due to weather.
At the same time, the energy profile of homes and businesses is changing as people increasingly switch gas-fuelled appliances for cleaner, smarter alternatives that use electricity. Households and employees are also making more use of emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, that consume a lot of power. GenerativeAI tools such as ChatGPT, for example, can use as much as 33 times more energy than machines running task-specific software. All of this is pushing up the demand for electricity even higher.
Photo courtesy of Panasonic Eco Systems
Home batteries store energy either from the grid or from rooftop solar panels (if you have them). This gives your home a source of backup power that you can use whenever you like — such as in a power outage — so that you can keep your critical appliances running even when the grid goes down.
Utilities across the country are starting to introduce innovative new programs, often referred to as 'demand response,' to encourage homeowners to reduce or shift their energy usage during times of high demand to ease pressure on the grid. In return, a utility tends to offer financial rewards such as credits on bills or rebates. For homeowners with batteries, joining a demand response scheme is straightforward. When electricity demand peaks, you can switch from the grid to using power from your battery instead.
Home batteries can be connected to rooftop solar panels. During the day when the sun shines, your panels will generate electricity. If there's no one home to use the power, you can store it in your battery and use it later in the day, when the sun goes down and you return home from work. This lowers the amount of electricity you need to draw from the grid during peak evening hours, reducing the likelihood of an outage. At the same time, if there is an outage, your solar-plus-storage system will enable you to keep the lights on for longer, with your panels generating electricity during the day and your battery storing any surplus power for you to use at night.
Most home batteries come with an app you can use on your smartphone, tablet or PC that lets you monitor your electricity usage and track how much power you have stored in your battery. This means you can proactively adjust your energy usage so that your electricity lasts for longer and goes farther, which is particularly beneficial during times of peak demand or when there's an outage.
Home batteries provide both a source of backup power during an outage and the means to optimize energy usage during times of peak demand, reducing pressure on the grid and lowering the chance of supply interruptions. But beyond mitigating outages, there are many additional benefits to a home battery, including lowering your energy bills and improving the quality of air in your home. If you're interested in making your home more resilient against outages, a Panasonic authorized installer can help you find the solution that's best for you.