Blackout – our power grid collapses

In many media outlets, we now hear almost daily about short-term power outages and even large blackouts that affect entire regions for several days. Anyone who has looked into the issue will remember the events in Berlin, where a small construction site led to millions of people suddenly being without electricity for days.

A few years ago, the onset of winter in northern Germany led to long power outages that caused huge problems not only for people in rural areas. Farmers and livestock were also suddenly affected. A few days ago, an avalanche completely paralyzed part of Austria, interrupting the power supply—here, too, many people realized for the first time what it means not to be able to use electrical appliances. Completely taken by surprise, people realized that neither the freezer with its contents of food nor the oil or gas heating could be used. From cell phones to gas stations to ATMs, everyday life came to a standstill.

Blackout – how everyday life changes

However, it is not just the inconveniences and minor deprivations that then determine our lives. After the initial shock, there may be a brief period of romanticism because life feels like it has slowed down. The major problems that lie ahead have already gained momentum and cannot be stopped. Once the food has thawed and the heating has frozen, we as individuals are faced with enormous damage that will take a long time to repair and also require enormous financial outlay. As a town, district or state, the situation is even more overwhelming. The entire infrastructure can collapse and our social life is reduced to zero. In the worst case, we will be thrown back many years.

On February 15, 2020, for the first time in human history, less electricity will be fed into our power grid than it has to deliver. According to reputable media sources, this is only the beginning of a chronic shortage of electricity via the power grid. The reasons for this are certainly due, on the one hand, to rapid technological development, which presents us with new challenges almost every week, but on the other hand also to negligent maintenance and a lack of foresight in the planning and dimensioning of grid expansion. The switch to electric vehicles, appliances, and even heating systems will also accelerate the collapse.

It is no longer a question of whether this scenario will come to pass, but rather when. The only way to avoid this is to secure a supply with power generators. Backing up with photovoltaic systems is also conceivable, but unfortunately not really feasible in practice in our latitudes. With power generators, you are not dependent on the weather, the time of day or night, or other circumstances.

What do I need to consider when choosing a power generator?

When choosing a power generator, the availability of fuel is certainly an important criterion. Since gasoline is difficult to store and large quantities of gasoline pose an enormous safety risk, a diesel generator is certainly the first choice.

Another important argument in favor of a diesel generator is the possibility of using heating oil as fuel. If you also have an oil heating system with several thousand liters of heating oil in your basement, this is the ideal solution. Of course, the engine should already be registered for use with heating oil. There are also a few legal considerations to bear in mind. For example, it is completely legal if the device is permanently installed. Due to the high weight of diesel engines, the device can certainly be considered stationary if it does not have wheels (anymore).

Another important detail is the power quality supplied by the device. When securing a residential building, it is essential to choose a generator that can supply power at mains quality or better. A digital inverter generator is recommended here. However, great caution is advised with simple generators, as these generators do not even maintain a constant voltage and will therefore destroy any electronic device within a very short time.

Take a look here on the page under: FME XG SF 5600D, the diesel inverter generator with 5.5 kW.