Background
On Saturday, Albertans received an alert that they needed to reduce power. A combination of exceptionally high demand, a loss of imports, and a sudden decrease in power from renewable sources led to the situation. We need to look to see if this kind of situation is also possible in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia, like many other provinces, has put significant emphasis on wind and solar power. With approximately 32 hydro0eoectric projects, over 300 commercial wind turbines, and other projects (such as solar and biomass), the grid is moving in a greener direction. The goal is to have approximately 80% renewable energy by 2030.
This post isn’t about asking if this is the right ratio of renewable to other energy sources (such as small scale nuclear). What it does ask is if this goal has an impact on rural residents. If we look at the case in Alberta, then rural residents may want to consider a few extra precautions with respect to two kinds of power-related events.
Potential Events
Brown outs are conditions where there the magnitude of voltage in a power grid drops. Those with Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) will note some days where the voltage drops. In extreme enough circumstances, this voltage drop can result in conditions where appliances don’t work or where more sensitive appliances can be damaged.
Rolling blackout involve the utility shutting down power to a portion of the grid for a short period of time in order to lower demand. Essentially, these are planned power outages.
Options
As we look at the combination of generating capability, anticipated demand as new technologies put demands on the grid, and the potential instability in certain kinds of generating capability, it may we be a good idea to ensure that there is a plan to protect sensitive appliances and have a backup power source available.
An UPS can easily provide backup power to a computer, router, and modem to a home for up to few hours (depending on how much you attach to it). UPS can also include surge protection.
Generating capabilities pertain more to longer outages. This will, of course, depend on individual circumstances (such as the need for a continuously powered medical device) and decisions made by the utility (how long the outage is for). At the last, for medical devices, talk to qualified personnel about options (such as battery packs) that may help keep things up and running.