News Heavy snow measures New common sense of disaster prevention, do you secure power supply? Which one should you choose, generator, car power supply, portable power supply?

We are worried about a wide range of heavy snow due to the cold weather during the year-end and New Year holidays. In Korona-ka, evacuation shelters and shelters can be dense, so it is necessary to take more measures for evacuation at home. In particular, personal power supply measures have been attracting attention in recent years.

I wrote in Yahoo Personal News about six things that were said to be "unexpected" because they couldn't be used due to a power outage. It's not just computers, smartphones, refrigerators and lights. Various things use electricity, such as fan heaters, water heaters, and toilets becoming unusable. Typhoon No. 15, which struck Chiba Prefecture in September 2019, also had a long-term power outage, so when I gave a lecture to the child-rearing generation in Kimitsu City after the typhoon, my moms asked me a series of questions about the generator. ..

Generator

In Canada, 10,000 W large-capacity generators are sold at home improvement stores, and the price is cheaper than in Japan.

By the way, the above picture was taken on Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Canada, where the average temperature in winter is -12 degrees Celsius and on cold days it is -20 degrees Celsius.

Walls and ceilings of Canadian homes are covered with fiber and high-density styrene that have a heat insulating effect, but most modern heating systems rely on electricity, and heat pumps and electric boilers alone are 15,000 W (watt). Since the above power is required, there is a limit to maintaining the heat insulation and heat retention effect. Therefore, if they are the main heating source, spare heating means are needed. If the system does not rely on electricity, there are wood stoves, fireplaces, oil stoves, etc., but it is difficult to procure wood in small quantities, and it tends to be avoided because it takes time to install, clean, and maintain the stove, while oil stoves. Kerosene is rarely used because it costs more than 360 yen per liter. Therefore, private power generators are attracting attention, and PEI recommends them as a measure against power outages in rural areas, and generators are also generally sold at home improvement stores.

The main precautions for generators are carbon monoxide poisoning

By the way, in Japan, generators with a power of 10,000 W or more are classified as "private electric facilities" according to Article 38 of the Electricity Business Act, and it is necessary to notify the government of safety regulations and chief electrical engineers, so feel free to purchase them. It cannot be installed.

Large-capacity products are available in Canada at about one-third the price of Japanese products.

Furthermore, it seems that there are almost no accidents of carbon monoxide poisoning caused by generators.

The reason is that the capacity is so large and the sound is so loud that no one wants to use it in the house.

Generators sold in Japan are compact and have good performance, but there are cases where they are mistakenly used indoors and lead to accidents. Once you have purchased a generator, even a cassette cylinder type generator cannot be used indoors as it is the same as a motorcycle or car engine. Also, be aware that there is a similar danger even indoors in poorly ventilated areas.

In addition, since it requires some tips to operate, it is also important to operate it for regular maintenance.

The generator has the disadvantage that it is difficult to work outdoors in the event of a disaster such as a typhoon or blizzard, but it has the advantage of having good power and cost performance that can provide a stable supply.

In Studio Ghibli's "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" movie, it was impressive to see Sosuke's mother, Lisa, quickly running the generator.

Power supply from the car

Most hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles are powered by 1500W.

Power supply from cars is also a disaster countermeasure that has been attracting attention recently.

Many hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles come with a standard (or optional) power supply that can be used up to 100V / 1500W.

If it is 1500W at 100V, there is a possibility that it can be used for oil fan heaters, washing machines, electric rice cookers, and even water heaters. Please supply power according to the instructions of each car. (Addition: December 30th It is convenient in the event of a disaster to prepare an extension cord that can be used outside to power the electricity at home from the outlet of the car.)

Knowing which product uses how much power is not only a power saving but also a disaster countermeasure, so check the W number on the electric product with the child and it will be 1500W. It is also recommended to play with addition. Generally, LED lighting fixtures are 5-10W, fluorescent lamps are 40-100W, refrigerators are around 200W, personal computers are around 50-100W, electric fans are around 50-60W, LCD TVs are around 150W, and motors such as refrigerators are used. Some products use more power at startup.

The car charger is used by inserting it into a place called a cigar socket or accessory socket. The 12V direct current of the car is used as it is.

A car inverter is a device that converts this 12V to 100V AC for home use. You can use an outlet. The car inverter connected to the accessory socket can be used up to about 180W, considering the upper limit of the fuse of the car. Even if the type that connects to the car battery is labeled as 1000W, in order to avoid running out of the car battery, the upper limit is 300W for small and medium-sized cars and 500W for large cars.

In the idling state, there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the case of heavy snow, so care must be taken such as thoroughly removing the snow from the muffler part.

Possibility of portable power supply

Portable power supplies have the advantage of being able to be used indoors, and their performance has improved significantly in recent years, and there are various products.

The choice depends on the application, such as whether you want the amount of electricity, the lightness, or the short charging time is important.

At the Okinawa Prefectural Intractable Diseases Counseling and Support Center Ambitious, an Okinawan certified NPO that supports people with intractable diseases and their families, we have compiled a video on how to rent and compare portable power supplies for people who need medical care. .. It is full of useful information even if you are not a person who needs medical care. If it's just product comparison information, there are many YouTube videos.

Fully charged or left at 0 is a source of trouble

By the way, most portable power supplies use lithium-ion batteries. As with ordinary smartphone mobile batteries, when storing for a long period of time exceeding 6 months, it is recommended to store at room temperature and normal humidity with a battery level of 50 to 70% of the battery capacity. If you use it all the time, the internal control system works and it is okay if it is fully charged or empty, but if you leave it uncharged for a long time, the chemical reaction of the battery itself will continue as it is, so it will be over-discharged. This will lead to deterioration of the battery. Without knowing it, I thought that it was better to fully charge it for storage, or it became 0% because I did not charge it even though it was charged, and it was out of order when I tried to use it in an emergency. The case is reported in the Ambitious series of videos above. It seems that some of them were models that cost 200,000 yen.

If you have purchased a portable power supply, we recommend that you always use it to charge your computer or smartphone on a daily basis. I'm worried about the deterioration of the battery, but I think it's more sad to be able to use it as it is new. And what you can't normally use can't be used in the event of a disaster. (Addition: Of course, it is still a developing technology, so which risk to take is only an individual's sense of value.)

Make your own storage battery from a car battery

You can also make your own storage battery using a car battery, an inverter, and a solar panel. Videos and kits that even children can make are also on sale. Solar panels aren't available in bad weather, but if you use them every day, you'll feel the gratitude of the sun, so it's a new technology, but I think it's a relaxing experience. People who like the outdoors tend to think that they like life in the primitive age, but I have the impression that they like power generation. Solar panels that can be attached to backpacks are also on sale.

Securing power at home will become more important in the future

So far, we have described some means of securing power. In the age of with corona, and even in the zero-carbon society and the movement of SDGs, it will become more and more important to disperse power risks and secure personal power sources in the future. I hope you can make use of it.