There has been a lot of talk about grid modernization in recent years. There is a need to update existing infrastructure, build micro grids, and integrate different forms of renewable energy into the mix. It can be overwhelming.
One thing is for sure, we all rely on power utilities and we rely on them every single day.
Problems with power utilities
The United States endures more blackouts every year than any other developed nation, losing power 285% more often than it did in 1984. This costs American businesses as much as $150 billion per year (energy.gov).
There are many reasons for these outages.
- Electricity demand has grown 10% over the last decade.
- Weather related outages account for 68-73% of all major outages.
- Infrastructure depends on backup batteries in an outage and batteries, by their very nature, can be unreliable.
The solution
It is vital to ensure that backup battery systems are ready to go when they are needed. Utility crews have a difficult job ahead of them working in adverse weather conditions. Having a backup system securely in place is crucial from an emergency and financial standpoint.
Maintenance is key. Maintaining healthy batteries helps the entire system work better. Employing a battery monitoring system for constant state-of-health data and regular manual testing using handheld analyzers ensures power distribution when the grid inevitably goes down.