No disrespect to our friends in the real estate business, but the weather here isn’t always bright and sunny all the time. And that’s OK — you can’t appreciate the rainbows without the rain.
But it isn’t always easy to find a lovely silver lining in those gray clouds when your power keeps going out, something that seems to be increasingly common in North Idaho as more windstorms pass through the area, including in the middle of summer.
Sure, it’s fun to rough it for an evening and break out the flashlights or fire up your firepit, but things can get concerning if the lights stay off too long, since so much of our lives is tied into electricity, everything from coffee makers to phone chargers.
So what can you do, especially when the power company says it might be days until power is restored?
For Eric Aschenbrenner the answer is solar — specifically, a system of solar panels with a bank of batteries that he had installed at his Coeur d’Alene home. He’s still connected to the Kootenai Electric Cooperative grid but now has an impressive system that draws energy from the sun and banks it for future use.
“In winter, with about four or five hours of sunlight, I still can generate enough electricity for daily needs,” he said. “I typically use 35kw hours of power daily, and I generate this much power when the sun is out.”
Aschenbrenner said the batteries can power the house for about five or six hours, then he switches to grid power.
He had been searching for solar options for a while due to concerns about occasional power outages or even larger grid failure in the future.
He eventually connected with Mark Heikkila, co-owner of TEREMARK Electrical Group. The Hayden-based company has worked on many residential and commercial energy projects, including recently performing energy-efficient lighting upgrades at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. TEREMARK is a certified partner with Generac, which provides batteries and generator service.
“The biggest hurdle was figuring out which circuit breakers in the house we would back up,”
Aschenbrenner said. “When we wired the house, I had the solar system in mind so tried to group the items I wanted backed up onto the same circuits.”
Heikkila worked closely with AMP Electric for the wiring as well as Kootenai Electric for the power.
The completed system, installed last fall, includes solar cells, an AC generator and a bank of batteries.
The electric grid provides 400-amp service, divided into two 200-amp panels. The main panel, powered by the batteries, covers lights, most outlets, an outdoor hot tub, well/cistern and dryer. A second panel connected to the Kootenai Electric Cooperative grid is for higher-amp items used occasionally, like welders, air conditioners, and the oven. An extra 90-amp panel includes always-running items like freezers, refrigerators, and some household outlets.
Heikkila said the panels give Aschenbrenner the ability to control what loads drain the batteries in critical situations.
“Eric can prioritize what is essential, including manually turning off breakers to extend battery run times,” he said.
In a power outage, he can either run the generator for the main panel or shut it down to conserve fuel, and only power the critical loads with batteries. These should last about 12 hours without sun.
The batteries are charged in a few hours on sunny days, and extra power returns to the grid.
Aschenbrenner said the research process was initially challenging since he didn’t just want solar panels. He wanted to be able to constantly charge batteries, so power continues regardless of sunlight.
Heikkila said homeowners can’t just ask to cover the roof with solar cells and hope for sunny days. He instead recommends figuring out a homeowner’s consumption needs, including prioritizing which areas of their life may need uninterrupted power and which items are less critical.
If you’re considering solar, it helps to learn about the financial aspects as well: though some solar companies promise significant tax and energy credits, Aschenbrenner said these require some hoops to jump through.
Both Aschenbrenner and Heikkila recommend having a good relationship with your solar company representative, especially since there’s always new knowledge, rules and products coming from the industry.
Now that summer is here, Aschenbrenner is excited to see how everything pencils out.
“In summer I will make nearly double what I consume, which will give me credit with Kootenai Electric that I can use in winter,” he said.
“I hope to nearly break even for the year. I haven’t had a simulated power outage yet, but I should get about 24 hours without sun, just running the smaller panel. A few hours of sun a day can power this in perpetuity.” N
Story by Joe Butler
Photography by Joel Riner