EM: An ounce of prevention?
We normally discuss topics surrounding renewable energy, energy efficiency measures, smart homes, and cool wifi gadgets to monitor energy usage at home and at work. But for today lets make a slight turn and chat about EMP and Solar Flares. What? I know, but just hang on for a minute. You'll appreciate the turn in direction when you read the punch line at the end of this post.

A few days ago I came across this interesting article that had been buried deep on the NASA Science News website.  The subject was  how severe space weather can effect electronic devices and communications here on earth. You can read the complete article for yourself here. "SevereSpace Weather"  The following excerpt sums it up.

"Electric power is modern society's cornerstone technology on which virtually all other infrastructures and services depend," the report notes. Yet it is particularly vulnerable to bad space weather. Ground currents induced during geomagnetic storms can actually melt the copper windings of transformers at the heart of many power distribution systems. Sprawling power lines act like antennas, picking up the currents and spreading the problem over a wide area. The most famous geomagnetic power outage happened during a space storm in March 1989 when six million people in Quebec lost power for 9 hours."

Don't Worry, Be Happy!
Chill-out and relax. Or Chilax, as we're  encouraged to do in a Dec 2014 article published in www.BusinessInsider.com.  We're reminded that  "Solar flares are a rather common occurrence that, if strong enough, could cause a huge catastrophe on Earth by causing mass communication disruptions and power outages." However, there's no need to be worried or build a Faraday cage around your entire home. Astrophysicist, and host of StarTalk Radio, Neil deGrasse Tyson explains what a solar flare is and why we should all "chilax."

EMP and ElectroMagnetic Waves
We're so wired! Solar electric power systems, grid-tied and off-grid PV, electronics, communications, etc. would all be effected by a severe electromagnetic event. The last major solar event occurred between October 29 and 31st 2003. In an article published in Space.com, by Elizabeth Howell, she notes that "Airlines that usually flew over the pole diverted their routes to lower latitudes, and airborne magnetic and geophysical surveys were delayed or cancelled because they could not collect data. GPS accuracy fell, which affected consumers as well as the military. The Department of Defense, in fact, had to cancel a maritime mission due to communication interference, USGS officials said."

Punchline: Remember to Chilax! No need for alarms, but it may be wise to consider some form of shielding measures for your sensitive electronic devices. You'll find solutions from inexpensive, simply constructed shielding boxes and bags to rather large, elaborate and quite expensive Faraday Cages. There are even products in development to protect your PV Panels and Solar Electric System.  In the meantime, chill . . . and on your next coffee break, read up on the subject of Space Weather at NASA.