The security of our national electrical grid has always been a concern. Last year, snipers attacked a power substation in Northern California. Data and control lines were cut and over one hundred well placed bullets knocked more than fifteen transformers off line.

Aside from beefing up security at power plants and substations, an effective way to ensure our homes and businesses can keep running is by decentralizing the grid, i.e. installing solar panels so every home and business owner can have their own power plant right on their roof. Better yet, installing a battery backup system ensures you’ll still have power even if the grid does go down.

A huge group of jellyfish clogged the cooling pipes at a nuclear power plant, forcing one of its units to shut down. After a couple days, the jellyfish had finally been cleared and the reactor ready to be restarted.

So next time you’re up on your roof giving your solar panels a gentle cleanse, feel secure in knowing that the only thing you have to worry about is some bird poop. And while the jellyfish situation is comical, having to shut down a nuclear reactor can be dangerous. So you’ll be breathing a little easier knowing that going solar means relying less on conventional energy.

Why is everyone looking at me? I was just exploring a cool looking pipe.

Anyone who has ever used a gas generator knows three things: they are loud, run out of fuel and smell bad.  Often they don’t work when you need them most!

Solar Forward was generating 1,800 Watts all day with this portable and clean SunPower solar system.  Even without sunlight, our Solar Forward Roller will store two kilowatt-hours of energy—enough to watch a flat screen TV for 5 hours!

During times of disaster, this command post will be deployed to coordinate disaster response efforts. Solar panels and battery back-up will keep the unit powered.

Solar Forward crew installs a solar panel on a mobile command post. When the sun is shining, the panel will charge the battery and provide power to the unit.

Following major disasters, government organizations and non-profits will set up incident command posts to coordinate emergency responders.  Power will be critical for these command posts, as they will be communicating with everyone from Red Cross shelter managers to the Los Angeles Emergency Operation Center.

The command post featured in the photo above will allow the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to provide essential services when the community needs them most.  Using solar power to operate the unit makes much more sense than a traditional gas generator, which relies on fuel that will be in short supply after a disaster.  Furthermore, solar power is silent and emits no toxic fumes.

When it comes to keeping your home or business online post-disaster, solar with a battery back-up system is a great option.  For questions about sustainable back-up solutions, contact Solar Forward at 310.433.3770.

At approximately 11:17am this morning, Santa Monica residents in the Sunset Park neighborhood lost power.  At the same moment, Solar Forward’s Outback Power battery back-up system kicked into gear.  The result: seamless transition to back-up power.

No crashed computers.  No waiting around.  No delays to business.

Southern California Edison has yet to determine the cause of the outage.  The number of affected homes is growing, and ETA to restore power is unknown.

How can you make your home immune to the ins and outs of the grid?

Charged by solar, this battery back-up system keeps the Solar Forward office running when the grid goes down.

Solar Forward’s Outback Power battery back-up system

Go solar with battery back-up.

While solar without a back-up system is a great way to save money on your Edison electric bill, and reduce the amount of carbon being spewed into the atmosphere, it won’t keep you running during routine outages or emergencies.

Safety precautions require that when the grid goes down, your solar goes down.  That is – unless have a battery back-up system.

Solar Forward has installed a number of these systems in Santa Monica, leaving signs of activity and light, while the rest of the city sits stalled.

To inquire about solar and/or battery back-up systems, give Solar Forward a call at 310.433.3770.

Watch our battery back-up video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAcbTzQDJLg.