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Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This cutting-edge appliance can power your home during blackouts — and it qualifies for massive government incentives
Cutting-edge energy storage tech from New York's BioLite is helping to alleviate a problem for anyone who doesn't like spoiled food — or sitting around in the dark. Since those qualifiers likely include mostly everyone, the company's home-based batteries should be well-received news, especially given the deluge of utility line-dropping extreme weather events being endured, causing more blackouts. If household power is out for hours, the damage could far exceed sour milk. There are 8.4 million Americans with diabetes who need costly refrigerated insulin to live, according to the American Diabetes Association. Other essentials, like phones, internet, and basic home functions, can be lost with the lights as well. BioLite's ingenious solution can be installed in about a half-hour. Its automatic battery system can be targeted to power appliances in your home that you can't afford to lose, like a vital basement sump pump that is keeping rising water at bay. Amazingly, it charges by being plugged into a standard wall outlet. Appliances are plugged into the long, thin, laptop-sized battery. They run off the grid supply — bypassing the battery — until the power drops. Then, the battery takes over, lasting for 30-60 hours, all according to BioLite marketing vice president Erica Rosen, who talked with The Cool Down about the invention. "If you can install a flat-screen TV, you can install this, no problem," Rosen said. BioLite costs around $2,100 after applicable, budget-saving 30% tax breaks. Other types of large generators can cost thousands more and often burn planet-warming dirty fuels. Tesla Powerwalls are another option, storing power from the grid or from solar panels. CNET reported that Powerwall 3 runs about $14,000 before incentives. Certain electric vehicles are also turning into blackout saviors. The Ford Lightning and Chevy electric Silverado are both built to power homes during emergencies. You can expect to pay $60,000 and higher for the rides, minus applicable tax breaks. BioLite's lower-cost option can keep core parts of the home up and running during ever-increasing and worsening storms. Yale Climate Connections reported that the number of calamities causing at least a billion dollars in damage is increasing each year, reaching 28 in 2023. The inflation-adjusted calculation set a record dating to 1980. Do you have a backup power source in your home? Yes — a portable generator Yes — a full-on generator I use solar panels No — I don't Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Worse yet, the Verge reported that there have been 60% more weather-related blackouts in warmer months during the last 10 years compared to the 2000s. Supercharged storms and a strained grid are the culprits, with Earth's overheating causing increased risks for the extreme weather, per NASA. Battery backups can help you mitigate the damage should your power go out. Using less electricity to begin with can also ease grid strain and reduce air pollution. It starts by unplugging so-called energy vampires at night. The unused chargers and devices can suck up loads of juice, also increasing your power bill. Better yet for BioLite's part, you won't notice the tech until it's time to use it. It's thin enough to install behind the fridge or other furniture. "Out of sight, peace of mind," per the company website. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Free electric vehicle charging available to visitors at 30 SC state parks
Mountain bikers at Paris Mountain State Park near Greenville. (Provided by SC Parks, Recreation and Tourism) COLUMBIA — Electric vehicle drivers can charge up for free at 30 of South Carolina's 47 state parks. The park charging network is the result of a pair of programs: a partnership between the state parks department and the state's utility watchdog that brought chargers to three parks in 2020 and a larger effort started in late 2022 by Rivian. The electric vehicle maker installed EV chargers in the parks free of charge, according to Duane Parrish, director of the state's department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Park visitors must pay an admission fee but otherwise the chargers are free to use on a first-come, first-served basis. The state picks up the tab for the electricity costs. The free chargers are part of an effort to increase charging availability in the state. South Carolina remains 31st in the nation and next to last in the Southeast when it comes to the number of fast chargers per capita, according to the most recent report issued by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. The stations at South Carolina's parks are powerful enough to add about 25 miles of range per hour of charging, allowing people to spend time at the park and return to a recharged car. Having the chargers in the parks can also give visitors more peace of mind that they won't run out of power when visiting some of the state's more remote recreation spots. Most parks have two charging spaces, but the busiest destinations have four. The chargers work with all electric vehicles, not just Rivian's. However, because the chargers are hardwired into the parks' existing power connection, the state has not tracked how frequently electric vehicle driver have used the stations since Rivian finished installing them in 2023. 'According to the feedback we hear at our sites, park visitors who use the stations are grateful they are there, and they enjoy hiking or taking in the scenery while they charge,' Parrish told the SC Daily Gazette on Thursday. Online reviews left on platforms for electric vehicle drivers, such as PlugShare, do provide some insight. SC needs more electric vehicle charges. One state senator wants limits on who pays for them. 'Awesome! Right by the ranger station and boat ramp. Ranger said they're popular — someone's charging here nearly every day,' a Ford Lightning truck driver wrote in April 2024 while using the charger at Devils Fork State Park on the shores of Lake Jocassee in the Upstate. She was one of 21 users to leave a review. 'Great that SC state parks have these! Charging overnight after pulling my camper here!' a Rivian driver wrote in March 2024 while visiting Poinsett State Park near Sumter. 'I went on a short hike and returned to a fully charged car!' a Fiat driver visiting Table Rock State Park in the Upstate wrote in August 2024. 'On a sunny day you can walk the beach. If it's not so nice out, there's also a cute little gift shop,' a Nissan driver visiting Huntington Beach State Park along the Grand Strand wrote in January 2023. She was one of 59 people to leave a review. Other popular parks, such as Paris Mountain in Greenville and Charles Towne Landing in Charleston had between 23 and 68 reviews from users. The stations are not without their issues. Common complaints included non-electric vehicles blocking the charging spaces or the chargers being out of order. 'All new assets come with maintenance and upkeep, so occasionally the stations have to close for repairs — some of which can be done by park staff, but occasionally may require outside technical expertise,' Parrish said. 'Overall, they have been a nice amenity to offer park users that require minimal effort and expense on our end.'
CBC
12-02-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Cold snap to keep northwestern Ontario temperatures low for several days
Social Sharing People in northwestern Ontario will need to stay bundled up for several days yet. The cold snap that hit the region in the last few days is expected to linger for about another week, keeping temperatures well-below normal, said Trudy Kidd, meteorologist with Environment Canada. "This time of year for Thunder Bay, for example, we usually have high temperatures around -5 degrees (C)," Kidd said. "And looking at the week ahead, we're actually in the double digits, so -12, -15, so it is quite a bit colder than usual." Kidd said overnight lows, meanwhile, are generally around -17 in the city for this time of year, whereas for most of next week they'll also be about 10 degrees colder than normal. "This is definitely a cold snap," Kidd said. Environment Canada had actually issued cold weather warnings for some parts of the region on Tuesday. The affected areas included Kenora, Fort Frances, Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Atikokan, and Ignace. The weather agency said wind chills were due to hit about -40 C in those areas Tuesday night, and into Wednesday morning. Kidd said long-term forecasts show temperatures heading back to normal values about mid-next week. "But as we know, things can change, so it's always important for people to stay up to date on the latest forecasts and alerts," she said. Meanwhile, cold temperatures often lead to people idling their vehicles in the morning. But the coordinator of motive power trades — which includes the automotive service technician, heavy duty equipment technician, and truck and coach technical apprenticeship programs — said that isn't generally needed. "I don't think idling for any extended period of time is a great benefit," Phillip Bailey said. "As long as the windshield is clear and you can see to drive, you're better off to drive at a moderate speed and let the vehicle warm up completely, like the actual transmission differentials and such." "Sitting there letting it idle just has a tendency to warm up the engine, and newer vehicles with GDI, gasoline direct injection, tend to contaminate the crankcase with gasoline vapour, that gets past the piston rings." As for plugging vehicles in, Bailey said that's only needed an hour to an hour-and-a-half before driving, as opposed to leaving it plugged in all night; plugging in vehicles when the temperature drops to about -18 C is a good idea, Bailey said. "Other than a little bit of cost for the electricity, it's beneficial to the engine as far as starting is concerned," Bailey said. "It starts much easier, and it's less stress on the oil pump and gets lubricating oil to most of the components much quicker when it's a little bit warmer." Things like battery blankets and oil pan heaters also help, Bailey said. Bailey drives a Ford Lightning electric truck. "I'm getting to my third winter now for it," he said. "What they say with electric vehicles is ABC: always be charging." "Preconditions the battery to help maintain the battery state of charge in cold weather, and it uses the AC power from your charging station to preheat the cabin of the vehicle," Bailey said. "It doesn't stretch the batteries as much."
