Windy this week in norcal and socal. Get your genset now

Dave Angelini
Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
The real news here is the northern utility is saying it will be not 5 years of million people outages, but possibly 10 years.

 Going to Costco this am to buy some gensets for my neighbors up in the mountains. Last week Costco was sold out of gensets. I may need to hire another person as I get busier than I want to be.

A client from Wisconsin called me yesterday and thought it was a joke in California about the power going out on purpose. I told him it was not a joke but it is kind of funny as long as people do not get hurt. He said he still did not believe it could be this bad....

The last governor Jerry Brown lives offgrid and has a solar/ electrician who lives a few miles away. I know the guy who installed his system. 

"we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
   htps://offgridsolar1.com/
E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

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Comments

  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I got the genset for KLLG back in June, when they were still having sales of left over winter stock and I read the first stories about the PSPS. half our county is on the list for Wed shutdown. (17 northern counties on the Wed-Thurs-Fri list)
    https://krcrtv.com/north-coast-news/eureka-local-news/pge-warns-of-possible-power-shutoff-this-week-due-to-severe-wind-event

    PG&E is now calling anything over 30MPH winds, "damaging to their unmaintained infrastructure of lines and poles".
    Whoo Hoo, but their execs got 11million in bonuses this year.

    4 hours of wind, needs 2 days to clear the lines before re-energizing the lines !!
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019 #3
    The execs at PG & E did well but not as well as the relatives/financial friends of California public officials and the friends of the PUC. If it will take 10 years to fix the grid and make it able to run on a windy day/night, it means to me it the graft has been going on a long time.

    The gov Gruesome is outraged about the outages he approved the utility to do. He wants to know why gasoline is so expensive???

    Costco had 4 of the 7.5 KW dual fuel Firmans. All sitting in my truck right now ready for install.

    The utility has installed cameras on all the peaks in the Sierra where their lines are. Pretty nice vids. Our Sheriff arrested quite a few last week breaking in during our pre-emptive outage. They forgot about alarm battery back-up. Another reason thieves are impaired by their low intelligence levels.

    Going to be fun this winter with low sun hours, snow, and yes 30 mph winds. Love it!   Only in California!
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Horsefly
    Horsefly Registered Users Posts: 470 ✭✭✭✭
    The last governor Jerry Brown lives offgrid and has a solar/ electrician who lives a few miles away. I know the guy who installed his system. 

    That would be Jason Andrade, right? I really like looking at the systems he installs. Very clean and crisp. I believe he posted a video about Gov Brown's system. Pretty sweet.
    Off-grid cabin: 6 x Canadian Solar CSK-280M PV panels, Schneider XW-MPPT60-150 Charge Controller, Schneider CSW4024 Inverter/Charger, Schneider SCP, 8S (25.6V), 230Ah Eve LiFePO4 battery in a custom insulated and heated case.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    I think this is Joson Andrade's video Horsefly mentioned:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGlX-BpAxIs

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    Sunday/Monday we had some very high winds that uprooted some large trees along my County round. Of course that took out some power lines. Crews had the downed lines and transformers back up in about 18 hours, but they spent another 12 hours clearing branches that had not been maintained adequately. I guess deferred maintenance is a problem here also!
    As usual, my Honda eu2000i's purred right along for the duration.
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Windy and dangerous times in California for outages start at 5pm today. Also could get up to 25 mph on Sunday. The other 49 states are out flying kites and playing golf. The people in Canada have no idea what they are missing.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    A wildfire in Sonoma county and Lake county last night from winds over 70 mph grew quickly to 10,000 acres. Mandatory evacs !
    200,000 without power in advance, but I also heard a report that lines were down near the source. May not be related, I hope for PG & E.

    Red Flag for Diablo winds until late afternoon in much of the areas north of the bay area. Some winds up in the Sierra but mainly shutting down power here for downstream folks. More red flag this weekend.

    For all of those who dislike the utility, and there are many reasons to, imagine if California ran the utility >:)
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Horsefly
    Horsefly Registered Users Posts: 470 ✭✭✭✭
    Yep, my daughter lives in Santa Rosa, and they shut down her power last night, probably through Saturday. Then the fire (Kincade fire, for those keeping score) started up in Geyserville, about 20 miles away. I think that's the fire Dave is talking about in Sonoma county.
    Off-grid cabin: 6 x Canadian Solar CSK-280M PV panels, Schneider XW-MPPT60-150 Charge Controller, Schneider CSW4024 Inverter/Charger, Schneider SCP, 8S (25.6V), 230Ah Eve LiFePO4 battery in a custom insulated and heated case.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    Read an accusation that the utility is using the black-outs to sort of threaten the judge who is going to rule on the lawsuits facing the utility.  Sort of a "Look at our "power". Do you really want to make us mad?" A double meaning to the word "power". Plenty of inside jokes at the utilities for sure. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Over 80 mph now and yes Kincade is the name. In Sonoma & Lake counties where I grew up. 

    I think the real threat is to the folks that let the Utility make record profits and over pay at the top.
     If there is a judge who will play a role, he will be made to understand the game here.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    I hate to post this bit of info from our Weather forecasters, but, there is a powerful front line coming down the west coast today and tomorrow, they project winds up to 50 MPH  across the coast and inland plus a lot of rain for us, watch your forecasts...presently hitting the Alaska Panhandle.
    Time to batten down the hatches!

    Alerts for: Chilcotin

    Statements

    4:20 AM PDT Thursday 24 October 2019
    Special weather statement in effect for:

    • Chilcotin

    Be prepared for strong winds tonight and Friday.

    A developing Pacific low pressure system is forecast to cross the central interior overnight. The associated cold front will then sweep across the southern interior on Friday reaching Washington State in the evening.

    Strong southerly winds will develop ahead of the low tonight and then shift to west or northwest on Friday. Wind gusts up to 70 km/h are expected except gusts to 80 km/h or more are possible for Chilcotin, Cariboo - south including Williams Lake, 100 Mile and Fraser Canyon.

    Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada. To report severe weather, send an email to BCstorm@canada.ca or tweet reports using #BCStorm.


     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Funny Eric ! Might as well put the warning out !

    Back in the late 80's, we were getting our sailboat ready for offshore winds and would go out off the coast of Marin (just south of the Kincade fire) in an anchorage called Bodega bay. They would get hurricane force winds with little fetch on many of the winter frontal passages. Good place to test an anchor system.

    Pretty obvious we need some long overdue work down here.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    Bodega Bay is a special place, in several ways.
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    The virtual entirety of the California coast pretty much blows me away. It just isn't fair for one state to have that much breathtaking coast line. Kind of like Colorado with it's lock on 14,000' mountain grandeur.

    If it wasn't for the cost of housing and earthquakes and wildfires, it would have twice the population and be the worlds ~ 4th largest economy as a result. Imagine that. Then it went and figuratively shot itself. 
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Not a good week, again for PG&E. A 235 KV tower had a "jumper failure" on the Geyserville line. This was on a power line that was not de energized before the Kincade fire. They reported this and the fact that it was approximately in the area where the fire started. The stock was down 23% when I looked. A fun night for the people sleeping in the shelters on cots. So CAL is also having fires. Even worse winds predicted for Saturday night.

    Some good news for you all being a Friday.


    Left-Leaning California Has Legalized Eating Roadkill




    California has always been the most leftest-leaning of all of the states. They’re passing legislation left and right that has many people scratching their heads, trying to figure out what the governor is thinking. The state is dealing with wildfires, an opioid crisis, homelessness, countless illegals, and breakouts of various diseases that were once eradicated in the United States. Rather than dealing with those issues, they’re focusing on something entirely different.

    Governor Gavin Newsom just passed a bill that legalizes the ability to cook and eat roadkill. Roadkill, as in the animals that are killed by vehicles and left for dead on the side of the road. There’s no definition in his bill to identify what species of animals are available for the menu, either. In California, the most common roadkill found roadside includes skunk, gopher snake, and even mountain lion. Birds are high on the list, too, including barn owls.

    Senate Bill 395, nicknamed the Roadkill bill, will go into effect in 2020. People will have the ability to salvage and eat animals that are either found roadside or that are unintentionally hit when driving down the highway. Anyone who wishes to eat roadkill will need to obtain a salvage permit in exchange for details about the animal, including how it was killed and where. It will be part of an effort to eliminate carcasses on the road and make it safer for drivers and animals on the road.

    Cheers !

    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    Feral hogs and White Tailed deer are common road kill here. Bad combination of events when collisions occur on our roads posted 85 MPH.
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    On the San Francisco Peninsula (County of San Mateo, me City of San Mateo)--Big parts just east of highway 101/el Camino Real, we are scheduled to lose our power late tonight. 2 blocks away, no problem. (look up by address--The maps, in our area, show larger outage area than the address lookup tool does):

    https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Potential-PGE-shutoff-Alameda-Contra-Costa-14560986.php#photo-18497433 (article)
    https://psps.ss.pge.com/ (address lookup for PG&E)

    Have gensets and gasoline--But will be the first time I will need to fire up a genset for power in the last 60+ years (OK, I was 3 years old 60 years ago).

    Prep for multi day outage (per PG&E). Will see how it goes and use as prep for next year (or winter storms, earthquakes, etc.).

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • westbranch
    westbranch Solar Expert Posts: 5,183 ✭✭✭✭
    Well the Sat pic. shows that  the front is past the Washington / Oregon boundary and moving South and east.
    Ahead of the front we had a temp of 16*C till 3 AM and it dropped to 8* by 08:00,
    The skies cleared after midnight, it's a great SUNNY day today...
    But the winds... man did it rattle the house.  The closest Weather station showed 83Kph or ~52 Mph.No obvious damage but have yet to inspect the 4 neighbours summer places.

     
    KID #51B  4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM
    CL#29032 FW 2126/ 2073/ 2133 175A E-Panel WBjr, 3 x 4s 140W to 24V 900Ah C&D AGM 
    Cotek ST1500W 24V Inverter,OmniCharge 3024,
    2 x Cisco WRT54GL i/c DD-WRT Rtr & Bridge,
    Eu3/2/1000i Gens, 1680W & E-Panel/WBjr to come, CL #647 asleep
    West Chilcotin, BC, Canada
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Good Luck Bill !  Stay safe up there. Wish there was a way to rethink the 6 billion we spent on the high speed train to nowhere.  Might have been spent better on underground electricity. Going back to costco for a few more  gensets.....At least the state does not want to manage healthcare. :o
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    edited October 2019 #21
    Well, my 19 year old, never started, Honda eu2000i.... Filled the oil and fuel, choke, and a half dozen pulls to get fuel to the carburator, started great and ran a 1,400 Watt heater just fine.

    Sort of ready for the outage (if it happens)... But I really did not expect multiday outages during sunny warm/hot weather... I think I can justify an eu3000i (next size up) Honda so I don't have to manage the fridges and freezer loads on the small genset (and 20 years in storage, I think a second new genset spare is money well spent at this point).

    -Bill "hope for the best, plan for the worst) B.
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    We live in an urban area, trying to stay with very quiet and fuel efficient generators.

    Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019 #23
    Bill, Great story on the generator! 
    Last Sunday/Monday, mine supported two refrigerators and one chest freezer for 17 hours, no time sharing. Used less than 3 gallons used.
    I still believe in the adage: One is none, two is one.
    Marc
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    edited October 2019 #24
    I have a 2nd new old in box... But it is a noisy (I guess) generac (probably 3.5 kWatt). Don't want to use that at night.

    In law's home has two refrigerators and a freezer. The one eu2000i seems to run them all, but I am a bit hesitant to let them all run on the single genset (and possibly damage the genset).

    I am happy to hear that it may run ok and may give it a shot.

    Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019 #25
    !
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    7 PM tonight our foothill community Mariposa will lose power thru Monday. As Bill here many of my non-offgrid clients are on the bank of Costco. A new unopened genset in the box. They can take it back, or use it if the primary genset dies.

    A total PITA for many. Still 5% contained on the Kincade fire in Sonoma county norcal.

    When they say 5%, it just means they know about it and people are going there BTW.
    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    BB. said:
    I have a 2nd new old in box... But it is a noisy (I guess) generac (probably 3.5 kWatt). Don't want to use that at night.

    In law's home has two refrigerators and a freezer. The one eu2000i seems to run them all, but I am a bit hesitant to let them all run on the single genset (and possibly damage the genset).

    I am happy to hear that it may run ok and may give it a shot.

    Bill
    Costco has Yamaha inverter 1600 watt genset marked down to $450  - at least in Colorado. They are not powerful but they certainly are very quiet. Just an idea - and they may be out of stock. Good chance of that.

    I found that lifting larger gensets in and out of the camper was a nuisance. Plus it really got in the way. Solved that issue with two Yamaha's that run in serial with included equipment. I hope. 

    Since ethanol gasoline ruins stuff pretty fast - I have not put gas in them. We just mandated 15% ethanol which seems to be multiples worse for carburetor corrosion - even when using stabilizer. You might enjoy the youtube videos of ProjectFarm. The testing equipment he makes in his garage can be impressive at times. He showed Slick50 to be a worthless product by the way. Shame. 

    Since gensets are the California future - I would consider ethanol free gasoline for several great reasons.
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    7 PM tonight our foothill community Mariposa will lose power thru Monday. As Bill here many of my non-offgrid clients are on the bank of Costco. A new unopened genset in the box. They can take it back, or use it if the primary genset dies.

    A total PITA for many. Still 5% contained on the Kincade fire in Sonoma county norcal.

    When they say 5%, it just means they know about it and people are going there BTW.
    The news regarding northern California is very concerning. That 300' fire break of yours seems wise. Best wishes!
    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
  • Dave Angelini
    Dave Angelini Solar Expert Posts: 6,728 ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanks for the wishes but save them for the grid folks who need all the help they can get.
    It is a good thing in a way that this is happening as many of them have ignored the earthquake warnings for decades.

    For us here fire is a very normal part of life. Below is the 3rd fire/water pump system here. The deck above has a metal sloped undercover for rain cover to keep the area underneath dry, and to shed leaves from under the deck. We use to keep firewood here years ago, Now it is in a shed 200 feet away. Started in May with 18.5K of water storage and down to about 9K today.

    The Yami genset was at Costco last week but ours is sold out. $459.


    "we go where power lines don't" Sierra Nevada mountain area
       htps://offgridsolar1.com/
    E-mail offgridsolar@sti.net

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    California does not make living here easy:
    1. All auto gasoline is E10 minimum (10% Ethanol) since ~1999
    2. Fixed installation Diesel gensets... Just 52 pages of regulations to comply with:
    https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/diesel/documents/finalreg2011.pdf

    Here is a 12 page FAQ to make things easier...

    https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/diesel/documents/atcmfaq.pdf

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • softdown
    softdown Solar Expert Posts: 3,812 ✭✭✭✭
    edited October 2019 #31
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol_fuel_in_the_United_States#/media/File:President_Trump_in_Iowa_(48051796596).jpg

    Trump thinks ethanol is fantastic. I doubt that he maintains old or small engines. Someday I'm going to overhaul a dozen carburetors that were ruined by ethanol. Hopefully they are still salvageable. 2019 Executive Order regarding 15% ethanol.




    First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with  FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries