Weathering the Storm: The Power of Preparedness for Energy Resiliency

As we approach the 2024 Hurricane Season, preparing for storms and ensuring energy resiliency becomes increasingly essential. Developing a solid plan for power resiliency is a proactive and strategic measure that can protect businesses from disruptions, lost production, and product loss (e.g., cold storage items). This preparedness is vital for healthcare facilities and emergency services and is critical in saving lives during and after a catastrophic event. Retail businesses that operate successfully on a backup power system can serve as a lifeline for the communities they are in, providing essential supplies such as water, food, and medicine.

Investing in backup power solutions is more than just a strategic move; it's a commitment to your business's future. With a dependable microgrid system and the unwavering support of our dedicated team, you can rest assured that your operations will continue uninterrupted, even in the face of the most severe storms. This peace of mind, knowing that your business is secure and prepared, is invaluable, especially for businesses operating in remote locations.

Each year's season brings threats: winter ice storms, spring thunderstorms and tornadoes, and summer and fall hurricanes. The looming hurricane season is a significant concern for all coastal areas and can cause devastation far inland. After a storm's landfall, utility power may be down for days, weeks, or sometimes months. This is why early preparation is crucial to ensure uninterrupted operations.

Effective preparation starts well before any storm hits. RavenVolt's Network Operations Center can make owning and operating a Microgrid worry-free. Our proactive monitoring system, backed by advanced software, detects alarms or issues and dispatches prompt service when required. By constantly monitoring system fluid levels, battery voltage, and other metrics, we can prevent a minor issue from becoming a major no-start problem.  Regular testing of microgrids helps keep systems healthy and ready to provide vital backup power when needed.  Our software provides our service technicians with valuable data logs for troubleshooting and resolution, ensuring your system is always prepared for any event.

We have learned from years of experience that a storm can quickly escalate from a Category 1 to a Category 5, allowing little to no time for preparation. For example, last year, on October 24th, 2023, Eastern Pacific Hurricane Otis strengthened from Category 1 at 7:00 AM to Category 5 with 165 mph winds by 10 PM in only 15 hours. In 2022, Hurricane Ian intensified rapidly after moving north of Cuba. On September 28th, Ian went from a Category 3, 120 mph hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane with winds of 160 mph in less than 24 hours before making landfall in southwestern Florida.

This year's hurricane season is expected to be very active, similar to the highly impactful 2017 season that included Hurricane Irma—the 2017 North Atlantic hurricane season had 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 6 major hurricanes. Meteorologists are predicting an above-average number of storms due to several factors. These include warmer sea surface temperatures above 80 degrees following a mild winter in many areas. These higher temperatures provide additional energy to fuel storm development, creating an environment conducive to the formation and strengthening of hurricanes. Favorable atmospheric conditions further contribute to this increased activity.

RavenVolt's 24/7 NOC has extensive experience in helping microgrid owners successfully weather the storms of each hurricane season since 2006.  Our NOC staff are dedicated and skilled professionals capable of making quick, informed emergency decisions. They also serve as a communication hub, coordinating with customers, utility providers, and other stakeholders.  Rapid response and clear, concise communication are vital before, during, and after any major storm event.  Daily monitoring of weather conditions and staying informed of any disturbance that could develop into a tropical storm or hurricane triggers our NOC to prepare our monitored microgrids well ahead of any potential landfall.

RavenVolt, a leader in turn-key power systems, service, and 24/7 monitoring, is your partner in providing energy resilience before, during, and after storms. With our expertise and reliability, you can trust us to keep your operations running, no matter the weather.