Eight Reasons Security-Conscious Consumers Will Use More Microgrids
Date: Aug. 26, 2016
When you boil it down to the basics, every domestic consumer in America who installs a backup electrical generator is already making use of a microgrid to protect his or her home from the dangers of electrical outages. The advantages that some consumers already enjoy from simply having access to uninterrupted electrical supply will doubtless be demanded more and more in the future by security-conscious consumers.
What needs will those consumers be seeking to fill by installing their own microgrids to intelligently supply uninterrupted power? Let’s take a look at what their systems will be powering.
- Intelligent security and alarm systems, which must function when power goes off – and keep operating even if battery backups and generators fail.
- Perimeter and other lighting systems, which are needed to keep premises secure and deter thefts.
- Home cooling and heating systems, which keep buildings comfortable and which can prevent damage caused by frozen pipes.
- Sump pumps and drainage systems, which can prevent damage to buildings after flood-caused power failures.
- Water purification and food refrigeration units, which provide inhabitants with food and water that is safe to consume.
- Internet and phone systems, which consumers rely on for both communications and safety.
- Medical equipment and devices, which some customers rely upon for dialysis, delivery of oxygen and other health-related needs.
- Safe rooms and other modern security options, which keep occupants safe from criminal trespass in the wake of environmental disasters.
Security, Plus Green Thinking Too
There is no data available on how many security-conscious consumers are also environmentalists. But for those who are, microgrids are appealing for an additional reason . . .
During power outages, they can provide electricity that is cleanly produced.
Instead of employing backup generators that are powered by diesel, gasoline or even natural gas, smart grids can deliver electricity from batteries that have been charged by solar power, wind power, or from utility-sourced power when it was available. The result? Continuous electricity without burning anything.
In Summary . . .
As the demand for microgrids increases and the price of installing them falls, it is only logical to predict that more upscale consumers will look to them to address their needs in the areas mentioned in today’s post. As prices drop further, it could even be that we will be seeing the words “Microgrid Equipped” in more and more real estate listings of properties that are for sale. Microgrids are a technology whose greatest market penetration is still to come.
For more information on the convergence of smart cities, autonomous vehicles and microgrids, check out our two co-located events:
Microgrid Convergence – 10/25 to 10/26 – San Francisco, CA
Driverless Cities – 10/26 to 10/28 – San Francisco, CA