Up to two million
Californians suffered
an unprecedented,
intentional blackout by the
state's bankrupt utility,
PG&E ( so it isn't blamed
for starting more wildfires,
causing PG&E to go
'even more bankrupt' ).
LESSONS ABOUT HOMES:
Solar power installations
don't keep the lights on
during a power outage !
Bloomberg said:
"because
most panels
are designed
to supply power
to the grid,
not directly
to houses."
"During the heat
of the day, solar
systems generate
more juice than
a home can handle."
"However,
they don’t
produce power
at all at night."
"So systems are
tied into the grid,
and the vast majority
aren’t working
this week
as PG&E cut power
to much of Northern
California to prevent
wildfires."
The only way for
most solar panels
to work for a home
during a blackout,
is pairing them
with batteries.
That battery
market was
just starting
to take off,
but may
accelerate.
Ed Fenster, Chairman
of the largest U.S. rooftop
solar company, Sunrun,
said he expects battery sales
to boom after the CA outages.
Can home appliances work
on the power generated by
a Tesla battery ?
No, not without
special equipment.
LESSONS ABOUT CARS:
A Tesla, or any
other electric car,
can't be recharged
without electricity.
For Californians
who have internal
combustion engines:
The average price
of regular gasoline,
in Los Angeles County,
was $4.25 a galon
last Wednesday,
up +86.4 cents
since the start
of the year.
Some stations
were charging
more than
$5 a gallon.
Local refineries had
cut back production
of summer-blend gasoline,
in anticipation of switching
to selling the winter blend,
beginning November 1.
During the slowed,
or halted, production,
there was refinery
maintenance work
to be completed.