A growing number of the 350 landslide victims left without electricity or natural gas in Southern California’s Rancho Palos Verdes after the July 2024 event are being rescued with emergency solar + storage + generator systems triaged by ABC Solar, of Torrance, Calif.
Within days of the landslide, Bradley Bartz, founder and CEO of ABC Solar, and his team of five installers have thus far managed to bring new power systems to 29 residents of the area, whom at one point were ordered to evacuate. “One day I did six systems,” Bartz said in an interview with Solar Builder.
The emergency systems were installed initially without conduit over exposed wires, then in the days that followed the rush, the systems were brought up to code, Bartz noted. The service leads from the utility, Southern California Edison (SCE), were physically disconnected to assure safety from potential back feed exports. “But we added Polaris Multi-tap connectors to make the reconnection easy,” he said.
Since the system demand still is so great, Bartz has been triaging systems and prioritizing the elderly and others with special considerations. Those who already have generators or other power resources are put lower on the response list.
Emergency solar + storage + generator system
The formula for the emergency installs usually included Silfab panels, Sol-Ark 15 kW Hybrid Inverters, and Briggs & Stratton stackable 6 kWh SimpliPHI batteries and propane generators. BatteryEVO based in Chatsworth, Calif., also stepped in with their Walrus Atlantic 12 kW/30 kWh all-in-one battery systems, Bartz said.
“Because we have relationships with multiple suppliers, we could usually get equipment the next day,” Bartz said. “Briggs & Stratton was very helpful in moving material quickly,” he observed.
The logistics process was facilitated by ABC’s well-stocked warehouse. “We started out using 370 Watt solar panels, then we moved up to 410s and now we’re using 430s, he noted.
The advantage of using hybrid inverters is that an EV can be charged from the storage system. Once control software for reverse charging has standardized in the market, that feature can be added, Bartz said.
Trade partnerships speed emergency installs
To speed up the emergency installations, ABC called on companies in several other trades. “Hugoboom Roofing [of Redondo Beach] has been a key partner for over 12 years. Their team strips tiles while our crew installs the feet and flashing for solar panels. They expertly re-roof each stanchion, ensuring seamless integration of solar systems into the roof.” Bartz said.
Similarly, “CDE Pools has also been instrumental in helping us install solar pool pumps, another crucial step in getting homes off the grid and minimizing their energy load. Together, we’ve developed a conveyor-belt approach to installations, streamlining the process and making it as efficient as possible.” Bartz noted.
“These relationships proved their weight and goal, because they tripled the size of our workforce in a needed moment,” Bartz said.
SERAH Mobile Emergency System
For some clients affected by the landslide, the scale of the response needed required an ABC factory-built mobile solution.
“One of our more exciting developments has been the creation of SERAH (Solar Energy Resilient Activity Hub). Built on a 17-foot trailer with a Briggs & Stratton 22 kW propane generator, this mobile solar energy hub is designed to deliver solar and battery power to disaster sites for both short and long-term needs,” Bartz said.
“We’ve already deployed SERAH at the Portuguese Bend Riding Club, powering horse barns and training facilities with a system of 4 Walrus units and 32 Silfab Solar 370W panels, Bartz explained. “As our climate becomes more unpredictable and utility grids less reliable, mobile solar solutions like SERAH will become indispensable.”
AHJ relationships critical for emergency energy
The regulations surrounding a normal solar + battery install are difficult enough, much more so with emergency responses, Bartz lamented. “In an emergency situation, nothing is going to come out perfectly in terms of regs.”
Permit expedition from the city proved to be a flexible process, Bartz said. “The city of RPV allowed us to get permits for the solar panels and for an RV [recreational vehicle] with a 50-amp plug, so we didn’t have to permit the battery itself.”
“I mitigated that regulatory risk by going to the city beforehand with a single line diagram explaining what I was going to do. I think it helped a lot to communicate with the local officials, but the county has been a double-edged sword in this whole thing,” Bartz said.
SCE is requiring retro-inspections to reconnect emergency solar + storage adopters, Bartz noted. “Many customers have connected their own solar and storage systems since SCE initially de-energized them. To ensure the safety of customers and crews, SCE needs to verify that proper safety measures, including city inspections and permitting, were conducted before power can be restored,” the utility website instructs.
Call for Air Resources Board to study the response
While landslides are a global problem, the landslides near Rancho Palos Verdes, particularly at Portuguese Bend, have been an ongoing issue for decades, Bartz points out. His website expands: “This landslide isn’t just a slow creep. The ground beneath Portuguese Bend moves like a living organism, undulating and folding as it shifts toward the sea. As the earth buckles downward, the pressure forces new formations upward, giving birth to what locals now call Grey Rock Beach, a stark contrast to the golden sands and gentle waves that once defined the coastline.”
As one interaction with local and regional authorities, Bartz invited the California Air Resources Board (CARB) “to undertake a groundbreaking case study on a unique situation in Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills, where a devastating landslide forced Southern California Edison to abandon grid support for over 350 large, high-end homes. As these residences transition to complete reliance on solar and battery systems, this presents an unprecedented opportunity for CARB to evaluate and guide the development of off-grid solar and storage systems designed to thrive through all seasons, especially winter.”
Apart from confirming the value of solar + storage, Bartz hopes that the agency might overrule current restrictions on overbuilding solar in the region.
“Currently, solar system sizing rules under NEM (net metering) and other restrictions limit the ability to build truly winter-resilient systems. CARB’s guidance can help advocate for the necessary upsizing of solar and battery storage to ensure these homes meet winter energy demands without turning to fossil fuels,” he said.
Tags: Briggs & Stratton, off-grid
