That can mean extended power outages in places like New Orleans. A grassroots network is launching Community Lighthouses to meet the challenge. — her independence, afforded her by the electric wheelchair she expertly maneuvers over bumpy city sidewalks.
A project launching in southeast Louisiana aims to help people like St. Cyr who are especially vulnerable during extended power outages as the warming climate produces more extreme weather“Community Lighthouses,” outfitted with roof solar panels and a battery pack to store energy, can serve as electricity hubs after a disaster, enabling neighbors to recharge batteries, power up phones or store temperature-sensitive medications.
More than just energy hardware, each lighthouse needs a team of volunteers to study their areas, learn who has health problems and who needs medication refrigerated or depends on electric wheelchairs for mobility. While people with means can evacuate ahead of a hurricane, about one in four people live in poverty in New Orleans, and not everyone can afford to flee.
Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, said systems that can operate independent of the power grid — often referred to as microgrids — are becoming more popular as businesses and communities address climate change by trying to reduce their carbon footprint or secure backup electricity.We’re expecting more stress on the grid,” he said.
Hurricanes aren’t the only extreme weather triggering interest in microgrids. Experts say there’s growing interest in California, where utility companieswhen conditions are ripe for wildfires so that their equipment doesn't spark a fire.
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