Electricity Archives - Brickley Environmental

With the power grid in California struggling under the intense summer heat, one solution to alleviate the problem has arisen in San Diego. The use of battery power to compensate for shortages in electricity during peak use times. The ion battery provides a strong backup for electrical grids that are under stress.

The search for alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar are on the rise, but even with more power generators in action, the chances of the electrical grid becoming overworked increases in the summer. Identifying the solutions starts with examining the potential power sources available.

How Does Battery Power Help?

The nonprofit organization running California’s electrical grid, California ISO, reports a 75% increase in battery capacity compared to last year. What that means is when solar power is maxing out during the day, the batteries can store the energy for twilight and nighttime use when the sun goes down.

What that means is battery power fills the gap when solar and wind power are fading, so the electrical grid can remain strong. The more batteries available, especially the reliable ion battery, the greater the storage capacity and the less likely a brownout or blackout takes place during the evening hours.

This is crucial because while the sun goes down, the temperatures often remain near peak levels for a few hours. This means air conditioners are still running, which pulls more power from the grid. When solar and wind power are fading, the charge in the batteries takes their place.

Other advantages of enhanced battery power include not contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This means that instead of relying more on fossil fuels, batteries can alleviate the pressure on power plants to increase capacity and emit more greenhouse gases.

Noise mitigation is another powerful reason why battery power is being expanded across the state. Because batteries operate silently, there is no noise pollution generated. Currently, eleven new battery storage sites are being planned for the state with San Diego being one of the locations.

Why the Ion Battery?

The ion battery represents one of the best available batteries on the market. For large storage capacity and ability to recharge many times before needing replacement, the ion battery provides a viable solution to the solar and wind gap while remaining online for quite some time.

Batteries are mostly used in large storage banks next to solar and wind farms, but they can also be used locally by individual homes and businesses that use solar power. The batteries maintain power once the sun goes down, and since the wind often dies down at night, they can be used there as well.

With the goal of eliminated greenhouse gas production by 2045, residents of San Diego know that the intense summer heat no longer means automatic brownout or blackout conditions thanks to the ion battery. With backup battery power, cities such as San Diego can handle greater amounts of electricity at peak times while lessening the chances of an overload.

Contact Brickley Environmental Today

With numerous dangers facing your home or business, calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental is a good place to start. We offer our knowledge and experience along with the tools to detect and remove infestations of various types. The services provided by Brickley Environmental include the following.

Asbestos Abatement
Mold Remediation
Lead-Based Paint Removal
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If you are facing any of these issues, call Brickley Environmental today. Our friendly, courteous staff will take your call and answer your questions, so you can make the best-informed decision about what to do next. At Brickley Environmental, we are here to help you.

Over the past few years, San Diego residents have faced higher utility costs and energy bills; and that is expected to go up for 2023 and the foreseeable future. But just how much they are going up and the status of the electrical grid are questions that need to be answered.

There is little doubt that California residents have seen a sharp rise in their energy and utility costs starting in 2020. But the factors that led to the rises may be alleviated to a certain degree in 2023. That does not mean you should expect your bills to go down, but it does mean that this year may be better than the previous three years.

Electricity Bills Going Up

The average energy bill will rise roughly $22 per month for 2023. That may change depending on several factors, most importantly how hot it gets this summer. The higher the summer temperatures, the more the air conditioners run, the more likely spikes in energy bills occur.

Air conditioners are one of the biggest energy users, meaning that the less they run over the year, the more stable the energy costs will be. So, the heat of the summer will play a major role in energy and utility costs. Since temperatures cannot be accurately projected over the coming months, San Diego residents will simply have to wait and see.

Traditional & Renewable Power Sources

The increased investment in wind and solar power means more renewable sources are online for 2023. However, another factor is that the California state legislature has delayed the retirement of some older fossil fuel power plants. This means that more power will be available for California residents in the foreseeable future.

Increased Water Supply

Unlike 2020, 2021, and 2022 in which California experienced deep drought conditions, the winter of 2023 brought considerable snow to the higher elevations. This means an increased water supply for all southern California. While the drought is not officially over, the amount of new water present will help alleviate the shortages experienced in the recent past.

In addition, the water will increase the amount of power generated by hydroelectric dams. This means more electricity will be available for use. However, the water that comes from the increased amount of snow needs to melt at a normal rate for the water supply to be sustained throughout the year. Melting too fast may cause even more issues that may affect the electrical supply.

It is not to say that utility bills will go down as a result, but the presence of more water should help avoid shortages. It also may help to stabilize water bills and keep them from spiking during the hottest months of the year.

While San Diego residents can expect their energy and utility costs to rise, the amount may not be nearly as high as projected just last year. The combination of an increased water supply, older fossil fuel plants remaining online, and a strategic plan in place for the electrical grid, 2023 may only see moderate rises in the costs of electricity, water, and gas. And this is good news for San Diego families and their wallets.