3 Ways Summer Heat Can Lead to Power Outages
It’s Cool to Have a Backup Plan
Power outages can happen anytime, but summer heat can leave your business’s critical power supply especially vulnerable. That’s why it is essential to prepare for the unexpected by investing in and maintaining an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Here are three summer signals to pay attention to if your business needs power to operate:
Extreme Heat
Extreme heat means increased use of air conditioners, which equals a higher demand and use of electricity on the power grid. Extreme heat also causes lesser output from solar, thermal, and wind power sources. This mismatched supply and demand of power can overload the electrical grid causing a rolling blackout–a controlled and temporary shutdown of power by your utility company to combat a complete energy grid shutdown.
Droughts & Wildfires
Droughts can hinder energy output as thermoelectric power, hydroelectric power, hydraulic power, and biofuels rely on water access and use. Less output can lead to blackouts and grid shutdowns. With drought and extreme heat, the risk of wildfires also increases, along with power outages lasting 8+ hours 1.
Unpredictable and Catastrophic Weather Events
At the other end of the spectrum, climate change is causing more extreme wet weather events 2. Hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding have increased in intensity and frequency due to greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in 78% more power outages from 2011-2021 versus the previous ten years.
1 https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/05/01/prolonged-power-outages-often-caused-by-weather-events-hit-some-parts-of-the-u-s-harder-than-others/
2 https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/surging-weather-related-power-outages
If your region has been affected by hot, dry summers, wildfires, and extreme weather, a fully designed emergency power system, including UPS and Generator can mean the difference between shutting down for hours, perhaps days, or continuing business as usual. Power outages are especially harmful to hospitals, data centers, restaurants, and businesses reliant on computers and electronic equipment, but they don’t have to be catastrophic. Contact QPS today to design and maintain your critical power infrastructure that ensures your business avoids disruption and downtime.
Published on Jul 14 2023