4 X class solar flares to impact this weekend.

[hwy17]

Would tripping the breaker help the situation off grid? Are the short grid of a pv panel be enough to induce damaging current?

Tripping the breaker would theoretically protect you from DC induced onto your service drop wire, or if the solar storm DC on your transformer primary somehow shorted onto the secondary. I don't believe there's any reason to believe this storm could be so bad to do either of the above. That would require like thousands of times the power of the Carrington event or something.

But it's better than nothing if that's a good enough reason for you.

PV circuit is already DC so should not care about a little extra DC from the sun.

 

[robby]

As of 2pm EST I am checking on my Ham Radio and there is no increase in the background noise.
So either nothing has reached yet or the numbers are exaggerated. I suspect that nothing has reached yet.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I don't think so.
Might want to get ready for a light show if your in the viewing area.

Aurora Viewline for Tonight and Tomorrow Night (Experimental) | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

www.swpc.noaa.gov

Bah, they said as far as Alabama at first, now only the furthest north states may see anything at all. Lots of fuss about nothing!

 

[MTM98290]

Tripping the breaker would theoretically protect you from DC induced onto your service drop wire, or if the solar storm DC on your transformer primary somehow shorted onto the secondary. I don't believe there's any reason to believe this storm could be so bad to do either of the above. That would require like thousands of times the power of the Carrington event or something.

But it's better than nothing if that's a good enough reason for you.

PV circuit is already DC so should not care about a little extra DC from the sun.

Thanks for the clarification. Do you mean transformer in the inverter?

 

[hwy17]

As of 2pm EST I am checking on my Ham Radio and there is no increase in the background noise.
So either nothing has reached yet or the numbers are exaggerated. I suspect that nothing has reached yet.

I don't really understand the space weather terms but I guess we're waiting for the blue and green lines to take off here. I was excited about red line but I guess when I read the key, the different lines are power levels. So red line I guess is just measuring detections of still relatively weak waves.

Homepage | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

www.spaceweather.gov

 

[hwy17]

Thanks for the clarification. Do you mean transformer in the inverter?

I was referring to utility transformer, if anything was going to receive significant space weather DC current near you it would be the high voltage lines, and it would manifest in the primary winding of your utility transformer, where it could burn out the winding.

The transformer(s) in your inverter if there are any, are not attached to long overhead wires, so my impression is there's basically no chance that they'd suffer much inducted DC power off just the wires in your walls.

 

[MTM98290]

I was referring to utility transformer, if anything was going to receive significant space weather DC current near you it would be the high voltage lines, and it would manifest in the primary winding of your utility transformer, where it could burn out the winding.

The transformer(s) in your inverter if there are any, are not attached to long overhead wires, so my impression is there's basically no chance that they'd suffer much inducted DC power off just the wires in your walls.

I only have an off grid array to be concerned with, it seems that turning off the breaker on the array wouldn't likely help anything, or am I wrong?

The forecast is showing G3 now.

 

[hwy17]

I only have an off grid array to be concerned with, it seems that turning off the breaker on the array wouldn't likely help anything, or am I wrong?

The forecast is showing G3 now.

The way I understand it, and that's only from what I've read in the last 24 hours, there's basically no chance anything's gonna be damaged by solar storm induction coming in through the main breaker, open or closed.

Theoretically, for middle power level extreme events, it's possible that turning off the breaker would protect stuff.

Also theoretically, in a higher level extreme event, a breaker only gives the wires maybe a half inch gap from your system. So lightning can jump over an open breaker and maybe theoretically the largest solar storms jump the gap too even while the breaker's off.

 

[MTM98290]

So maybe we need shutters to batten down during the extreme events. Or an automatic awning.

 

[DIYrich]

I only have an off grid array to be concerned with, it seems that turning off the breaker on the array wouldn't likely help anything, or am I wrong?

No risk to off-grid. Wires are not long enough.

The risk is problems with long transmission lines causing power fluctuations with distribution systems. Small chance a high voltage transmission line increases voltage in distribution system which makes it to a house.

 

[timselectric]

I wish I didn’t know this. I don’t like those odds.

I think the odds were great.
" NOT A KILL SHOT"

 

[timselectric]

So does this mean I'll be able to see some aurora's here in north KY? If so, when, tomorrow night?

Edit: according to this NOAA space weather site, peak activity will be about 2-6AM tomorrow morning. But, probably not enough south for us.

Aurora Dashboard (Experimental) | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center

www.swpc.noaa.gov

I'll be looking, just in case.

 

[robby]

3pm and still nothing.
I have seen small storms push the S-Meter to 8 in a matter of minutes after they hit. Right now the meter is barely registering a One on the 20 Meter Band.

 

[hwy17]

It's peaked I guess. NOAA says they did register G4 conditions at 12 something EDT.

 

[rancher5]

I only have an off grid array to be concerned with, it seems that turning off the breaker on the array wouldn't likely help anything, or am I wrong?

The forecast is showing G3 now.

No, off grid, IMOP, leave it be, your system is to localized to catch energy from space.

 

[timselectric]

Would tripping the breaker help the situation off grid? Are the short grid of a pv panel be enough to induce damaging current?

Generally if you approach or exceed 100', there's a possibility of damage.

 

[rancher5]

It's peaked I guess. NOAA says they did register G4 conditions at 12 something EDT.

View attachment 214499

We are a little tired though.

 

[wpns]

Generally if you approach or exceed 100', there's a possibility of damage.

The paper referenced a few pages ago was talking about voltages on the order of 1 to 3 V per kilometer, so your PV wires are not going to be affected.

 

[hwy17]

We are a little tired though.

Like physically? Since I read this morning that space weather is actually associated with cardiac effects I'm wondering too lol. I would've absolutely never believed someone who made that claim, until I saw the papers on pubmed. Apparently the idea is space weather would cause some stress on the blood cells, and then as the body processes the damaged blood that could be the trigger for a cardio problem.

Not sure if my blood feels thicker right now or my coffee's just wearing off. Gonna go make another cup now before my 1pm personal cutoff.

 

[Tulex]

All I know is that I'm not putting a mask on.

 

[MTM98290]

No, off grid, IMOP, leave it be, your system is to localized to catch energy from space.

Ill watch for a spike in output.

 

[Rider]

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation

Should I be getting the space blakets out?

Foil hat should be ok.

 

[Tulex]

Like physically? Since I read this morning that space weather is actually associated with cardiac effects I'm wondering too lol. I would've absolutely never believed someone who made that claim, until I saw the papers on pubmed. Apparently the idea is space weather would cause some stress on the blood cells, and then as the body processes the damaged blood that could be the trigger for a cardio problem.

Not sure if my blood feels thicker right now or my coffee's just wearing off. Gonna go make another cup now before my 1pm personal cutoff.

It's Friday and the work week is done. Think I will find something else to thin my blood.

 

[timselectric]

The paper referenced a few pages ago was talking about voltages on the order of 1 to 3 V per kilometer, so your PV wires are not going to be affected.

Correct
This event isn't strong enough to worry about.

 

[SparkyJJO]

MAJOR SOLAR EVENT!

*crickets