I learned a lesson when the power went out on my off-grid site.
Sometime between bedtime (around 10 o’clock) and midnight, the power shut down. I woke and realized that the nightlights and clock were no longer illuminated. The interior of the Aspen Cabin was so dark I literally could not see the proverbial “hand in front of my face.”
Following several cloudy and rainy days, especially the two most recent, I should have monitored the solar system more closely, but I hadn’t. As a result, I groped around until I found a flashlight and waited for the sun to come up, hoping I could reset the system in the morning before the food in the refrigerator spoiled.
At first light, I went to the workshop where the batteries and the rest of the inside components of the off-grid system are located. The readout was 46 volts, low enough to cause everything to shut down. I turned off all the non-essential circuits in the electrical panel and was trying to remember the reset sequence when it suddenly came to life on its own. The sun had broken through the clouds just enough to allow the solar panels to start generating watts. Soon, everything was back to normal.
We have an excellent whole-house generator standing by for such circumstances but the interface between it and the rest of the system has eluded us so far. There is an expert service technician scheduled to head our way later in the month, so hopefully that will result in a more-reliable solution. We need that, because the colder temperatures are already hinting that the season is changing rapidly here in the high country. This morning the low was 27 degrees, and it is still technically summer.
In retrospect, what we experienced was a relatively minor inconvenience, and a reminder to be more attentive. It also served to remind us that keeping the lights on, the heat working and the refrigerator keeping the food inside safe, is not really guaranteed, whether you’re plugged into the grid or not.
Thousands of building occupants around the country find themselves with everything from temporary power outages to total devastation when natural and man-made disasters occur. Entire communities are wiped off the map in a matter of days, even hours in some cases. It can be hard to put yourself in their situation unless you’ve experienced it yourself.
Shelter that provides basic safety and comfort is something we mostly take for granted, but when catastrophic events take place, we witness human misery and destruction that is hard to measure. As members of the building industry, we deliver security and sustainability to homeowners and renters everywhere. It is important work and we can’t take our responsibilities lightly.
Where and how we build are essential to the prosperity of our neighbors and our communities. Too often, compromises in judgement and the focus on first costs result in situations of vulnerability for our customers. We can be profitable and responsible at the same time.
Having the power go down for a few hours was humbling and served to remind me just how fortunate we are to have all of the modern conveniences and technologies at our fingertips. But these good fortunes require our ongoing participation and attention.
Ron Jones, Co-Founder and President of Green Builder® Media, is recognized as one of the fathers of the green building movement. Instrumental in establishing guidelines and programs through NAHB, USGBC and a variety of regional initiatives, he has more recently worked with the International Code Council in the development of both the National Green Building Standard (ICC 700) and the International Green Construction Code. He is the charter chairman of the Green Builder Coalition, a grassroots non-profit advocacy group whose goal is to promote integrity in the building industry, and beyond, in an effort to return balance and harmony to the relationship between the built environment and the natural one. A recognized author and keynote speaker on four continents, his industry credentials and leadership experience, combined with his inspirational message and “take no prisoners” style, make him a high-demand presenter for conferences and events of all kinds.
The Power to be Humble
I learned a lesson when the power went out on my off-grid site.
Sometime between bedtime (around 10 o’clock) and midnight, the power shut down. I woke and realized that the nightlights and clock were no longer illuminated. The interior of the Aspen Cabin was so dark I literally could not see the proverbial “hand in front of my face.”
Following several cloudy and rainy days, especially the two most recent, I should have monitored the solar system more closely, but I hadn’t. As a result, I groped around until I found a flashlight and waited for the sun to come up, hoping I could reset the system in the morning before the food in the refrigerator spoiled.
At first light, I went to the workshop where the batteries and the rest of the inside components of the off-grid system are located. The readout was 46 volts, low enough to cause everything to shut down. I turned off all the non-essential circuits in the electrical panel and was trying to remember the reset sequence when it suddenly came to life on its own. The sun had broken through the clouds just enough to allow the solar panels to start generating watts. Soon, everything was back to normal.
We have an excellent whole-house generator standing by for such circumstances but the interface between it and the rest of the system has eluded us so far. There is an expert service technician scheduled to head our way later in the month, so hopefully that will result in a more-reliable solution. We need that, because the colder temperatures are already hinting that the season is changing rapidly here in the high country. This morning the low was 27 degrees, and it is still technically summer.
In retrospect, what we experienced was a relatively minor inconvenience, and a reminder to be more attentive. It also served to remind us that keeping the lights on, the heat working and the refrigerator keeping the food inside safe, is not really guaranteed, whether you’re plugged into the grid or not.
Thousands of building occupants around the country find themselves with everything from temporary power outages to total devastation when natural and man-made disasters occur. Entire communities are wiped off the map in a matter of days, even hours in some cases. It can be hard to put yourself in their situation unless you’ve experienced it yourself.
Shelter that provides basic safety and comfort is something we mostly take for granted, but when catastrophic events take place, we witness human misery and destruction that is hard to measure. As members of the building industry, we deliver security and sustainability to homeowners and renters everywhere. It is important work and we can’t take our responsibilities lightly.
Where and how we build are essential to the prosperity of our neighbors and our communities. Too often, compromises in judgement and the focus on first costs result in situations of vulnerability for our customers. We can be profitable and responsible at the same time.
Having the power go down for a few hours was humbling and served to remind me just how fortunate we are to have all of the modern conveniences and technologies at our fingertips. But these good fortunes require our ongoing participation and attention.
By Ron Jones
Ron Jones, Co-Founder and President of Green Builder® Media, is recognized as one of the fathers of the green building movement. Instrumental in establishing guidelines and programs through NAHB, USGBC and a variety of regional initiatives, he has more recently worked with the International Code Council in the development of both the National Green Building Standard (ICC 700) and the International Green Construction Code. He is the charter chairman of the Green Builder Coalition, a grassroots non-profit advocacy group whose goal is to promote integrity in the building industry, and beyond, in an effort to return balance and harmony to the relationship between the built environment and the natural one. A recognized author and keynote speaker on four continents, his industry credentials and leadership experience, combined with his inspirational message and “take no prisoners” style, make him a high-demand presenter for conferences and events of all kinds.