By Tribune-Review

Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 8:50 p.m.
Updated: Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Re. Tim Kaczmarek's letter “Green technology vs. Sandy” (Nov. 21), about the supposed limitations of solar- and wind-produced energy: I'd like to share some thoughts about preparedness.

I've been using solar panels for emergency power for the last decade and also have a generator. If I had to give up one, I'd give up the generator. When a major storm knocks out power, it's hard to find gas.

Does it serve my family for me to drive around in a disaster looking to fill a five-gallon gas can? I think my time and effort are more valuable cleaning up and fixing my property.

A thunderstorm peeled back my barn roof in 2010, while my ground-racked solar panels survived unharmed. My AC power inverters run 24 hours a day with zero downtime.

Because of fuel shortages in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has invested in the same type of battery-based solar electricity I use. You can argue all day about how much “green” energy we should invest in as a nation. Trust me, that same technology used with battery-based power conversion is the best help you can get in a disaster. It runs when nothing else will.

David Bangley

Hanover Township

Beaver County

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