Grid Failures and Backup Power: What DIY Solar Actually Fixes

Hurricane Lala knocked out power to more than 180,000 people in Hawaii, and a derecho with 70 to 100 mph winds left 374,000 without power across 53 counties in Indiana. Gary, Indiana waited 14 days for the lights to come back on. Rodney, Eric and Adam break down what these 2026 grid failures mean for people who want real backup power.

We get into the practical side: why a 72-hour kit is a good start but two weeks is the goal, which loads matter first (fridge, internet, lights, CPAPs and other medical devices), why a generator is only as good as your fuel supply, and how a solar roll call from the community stacks up. Plus a V2H reality check and what everyone is working on next.

Topics in this episode:

• Hurricane Lala in Hawaii: 180,000+ without power
• The Aug 11 derecho: 374,000 outages across 53 Indiana counties
• Gary, Indiana: 14 days without electricity
• 72-hour kit vs a two-week backup plan
• Medical loads: CPAPs, oxygen concentrators and consolidators
• Generators vs solar: fuel dependency and pairing both
• V2H reality check after a Tesla Model 3 purchase
• Solar roll call from the community
• What each host is working on next

Have a question or a grid-down story to share? Email us at [email protected] with subject "Unplugged".

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