Texas Power Grid Independence: Protect Your Home

In February 2021, millions of Texans lost power for days during Winter Storm Uri. Temperatures dropped to dangerous levels inside homes. People died. The ERCOT grid, isolated from national interconnects, simply couldn't handle the demand.

It will happen again. The question is: will your home be ready?

The Three-Part Solution

True grid resilience requires three components working together:

1. Reduce Demand (ICF Construction)

An ICF home uses 50% less energy than wood frame. More importantly, its thermal mass maintains livable temperatures for hours or days without power. During Uri, ICF homeowners reported comfortable temperatures while neighbors in wood frame homes saw interior temperatures drop to 40°F.

2. Generate Power (Solar)

Solar panels produce electricity even on cloudy winter days. A properly designed system can run essential loads (heating, refrigeration, lights) during daylight hours regardless of grid status.

3. Store Power (Battery Backup)

Battery systems like Tesla Powerwall store excess solar energy for nighttime use. During outages, they automatically disconnect from the grid and power your home from stored energy.

Sizing Your System

For a typical ICF home in Central Texas:

• Solar: 8-12 kW system provides enough for normal use plus export
• Battery: 20-40 kWh storage provides 24-48 hours of essential loads
• Essential loads: Heat pump, refrigerator, lights, outlets, well pump if applicable

Costs vary, but expect $25,000-$50,000 for a complete solar-plus-battery system before the 30% federal tax credit.

Building for Resilience

We design homes with grid independence in mind:

• Pre-wired for solar with proper roof orientation
• Dedicated essential load panel for easy backup integration
• Gas fireplace or wood stove for passive heating backup
• Well pump or gravity-fed water options where applicable