As a proponent of microgrids, seeing more and more stories like this one about the imminent cyclical solar storms damaging the central grid, is encouraging if not, well, downright scary.
Over the past thirty years, Kappenman has accumulated a vast and compelling body of evidence indicating that sooner or later a major blast of EMP (electromagnetic pulse) from the Sun, a space weather Katrina, will knock out the electrical power grid and bring society to its knees.
“Historically large storms have a potential to cause power grid blackouts and transformer damage of unprecedented proportions. An event that could incapacitate the network for a long time could be one of the largest natural disasters we could face,” he declares. A bluff, friendly man, half science nerd, half overgrown farm boy, Kappenman insists that solar EMP blasts the size of those that occurred in 1859 (before society was electrified) and 1921(before the power grid had developed to the point where it played any significant role) would today result in large-scale blackouts lasting for months or years.
Kappenman contributed to an oft quoted report entitled ‘Severe Space Weather Events’ documenting the horrific cost in both lives and dollars should severe magnetic storms hit. Perpetuating the centralized grid, even if we make it ‘smart’, is simply perpetuating a bad idea. A March 2009 National Geographic article by Peter Miller, points out that ‘…for every kilowatt used, 2.2 are “lost” as that energy is generated and sent over transmission lines .
The world’s power grids, of which the United States has the most extensive, have in essence become giant antennas for space weather blasts. Just as a lightning rod attracts any lightning bolts that might otherwise strike a roof, the power grid, which is designed specifically to be extremely efficient at conducting electricity, attracts space weather bolts. Problem is that, unlike lightning rods, the power grid is gravely vulnerable to such shocks.
Microgrids offer a much better business model, especially in terms of efficiency and definitely reliability.
