A best practice developed for Portland's Pearl District Neighborhood Association (PDNA) and Portland's Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET).

1. EMERGENCY ELECTRIC
POWER SOURCE (EEPS)
BEST PRACTICE
Christopher Glennon, Kearney Plaza E-Prep Committee Chair
18 December 2017

2. 12/26/2017
Purpose
Create a scalable emergency electrical energy source best practice
Identify sources of electrical energy for use following a catastrophic event
Outline protocols for harvesting and utilizing sources of electrical energy
following a catastrophic event
Increase the self-reliance of individual building Emergency Preparedness
(E-Prep) Committees
Make recommendations for Pearl District Neighborhood Association
(PDNA) emergency preparedness budget spend
Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) 2

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Problem Statement
PDNA has a limited emergency preparedness budget
Reliance on solar limits the use of operation to daylight hours and hours /
locations of direct sunlight access
More than one source of continuous electrical power will be needed to support
multiple emergency operations and missions
Batteries are limited in capacity, have a limited shelf-life (even if not discharged),
and require a source of sustained electrical power to be recharged once
depleted
Gasoline storage is limited to 3 - 5 months in a sealed container or 6 - 8 months
with preservative
Storing sufficient quantities of batteries or gasoline is not practical or financially
feasible
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Best Practice Baseline Data
2010 census data was used to identify vehicle
 Pearl District has 5400 households, 6000 residents
 Excludes new construction since 2010 such as: The Cosmopolitan, The Parker,
NV, Block 17, The Abigail, Oakwood (formally The Janey), Ramona Apartments,
and others
Assumption that 50% of Pearl District households own a gasoline vehicle
 50% of 5400 houses
- Total of 2700 gasoline vehicles parked or stored in the neighborhood
2700 gasoline vehicles
 Vehicles have at least ½ tank of gasoline on average (7 gallons)
- Total of 15,400 gallons of available gasoline
 Automotive batteries have 70 Ah of 12v DC electricity
- Total of 154,000 Ah of available 12v DC electricity
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Best Practice Strategy
Leverage electrical capacity of gasoline vehicles parked or stored throughout the
neighborhood
 Direct electrical capacity
- Automobile battery
 Indirect or potential electrical capacity
- Gasoline
Automobile battery
 12v DC electricity
 Used directly for recharging mobile devices or 120v AC devices through the use of a
DC to AC power inverter
Gasoline
 Fuel for internal combustion engines
 Used to power 120v / 220v AC generators
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Best Practice Approach
Use a mission based approach to identify operational needs
 Base camp operations
 Search and rescue
 Public service
Automobile battery operational capacity
 154,000 Ah of 12v DC electricity = 102,000 iPhone 5 recharges
Gasoline operational capacity
 15,400 gallons of gasoline = 7,700 hours of electrical generator operation
Use dual fuel inverter generator
 Liquid propane (LP) for immediate operation support while gasoline sources
are being identified and harvested
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Mission Based Example
Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) 7
Mission Based Example
Mission Electrical Power
Leader Type Description Requirement Source Generation
Neighborhood
Emergency
Team (NET)
Base Camp
Operations
Emergency lighting, medical procedures, power
tools, communications, medical procedures, etc.
3500 watts Gasoline & propane Inverter generator
Search and
Rescue
Emergency lighting, power tool operation, and
triage
1600 watts Gasoline Generator
Public Service Public access for mobile device charging, medical
devices, and mobility scooters
1000 watts Gasoline Generator
Individual
Building
E-Prep
Committee
Device Charging Mobile device charging, other 12v DC
requirements
50 watts Automotive battery USB car charger
adapters
Search and
Rescue
Emergency 120v AC operations, such as lighting,
power tools, and medical devices
500 watts Automotive battery DC to AC power
inverter
All6 Building base camp operations, search and
rescue, power tools, etc.
TBD Gasoline Generator

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Energy Harvesting Protocol
Energy Harvesting
Harvester Energy Form Priority Protocol
Neighborhood
Emergency Teams
(NET)
Gasoline 1 Harvest of available gasoline stored in neighborhood buildings for use in building
and ground maintenance equipment (e.g., lawn mowers, leaf blowers, trimmers,
etc.)
2 Vehicle owner approved harvesting from E-Prep committee supported building
parking areas, NET personnel, and other volunteers
3 Harvesting of damaged or disabled vehicles in the public right of way with approval
and oversight from local emergency / law officials
Individual building
E-Prep Committees
Automotive Battery 1 Vehicle owner approved harvesting from E-Prep committee supported buildings
parking areas
2 Harvest of damaged or disabled vehicles located in E-Prep committee supported
buildings parking areas
3 Harvest of vehicles located in E-Prep committee supported buildings parking areas
whose owners are confirmed deceased
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9. 12/26/2017
Pros and Cons
EEPS Best Practice Pros and Cons
Pros Cons
 Gasoline powered generators, power inverters, and USB car charger adapters have an
infinite shelf life if stored properly.
 The large store of volatile fuel (gasoline) is distributed, reducing the risk of fire.
 Vehicle owners will maintain the vehicle’s battery and insure a fresh supply of gasoline.
 Gasoline generators cost less than an equivalent solar powered or battery counterpart.
 Individual buildings can support the needs of their buildings based on budget
availability:
o ($) Mobile device charging using automotive batteries, cigarette plug or direct
connect charging adapters.
o ($$) Light duty 120v AC emergency power using 12v DC to 120v AC power
inverters.
o ($$$) Continuous 120v AC emergency power using gasoline powered generators.
 The solution scales based upon the availability of vehicles in the neighborhood.
 Dual fuel electric generators can use bottled liquid propane (LP), stored with the
generator, to support immediate power generation while long-term gasoline supplies
are being identified and harvested.
 Additional cost will be incurred by individual
building E-Prep committees to purchase power
inverters and / or USB charge adapters.
 Some vehicle owners may not be willing to
participate, even during an emergency.
 There may be legal ramifications of harvesting a
vehicle’s resources without express owner
permission, even damaged or abandoned vehicles.
 Not all vehicles will be accessible due to debris, fire,
or building damage.
 Siphoning gasoline from a vehicle poses a potential
safety risk.
 Training, logistical, and legal requirements have not
been addressed.
 The number of vehicles available to individual E-
Prep committees is limited to those vehicles in the
building’s parking areas.
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Next Steps
Submit EPPS to PDNA for best practice consideration
Perform proof of concept (POC) to determine feasibility and identify gaps
Schedule workshop to calculate gasoline generator wattage requirements
 Identify mission(s), scenarios and use cases, and electric power needs
Formalize recommendations for PDNA E-Prep budget spend
 See Appendix B for an example procurement list
Identify training, logistics, and communication requirements
 Update PDNA E-Prep toolkit
 Communicate changes to individual building E-Prep committees
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Appendix
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Appendix A - Glossary
Amp
 a unit of electrical current. The quantity tells you how much electricity is being drawn through the power cable.
Amp Hour
 Battery with a capacity of 1 amp-hour should be able to continuously supply a current of 1 amp to a load for exactly 1 hour.
Automobile Battery
 A rechargeable battery that supplies electrical energy to a motor vehicle.
Cascadia Subduction Zone
 “Megathrust" fault is a 1,000 Km long dipping fault that stretches from Northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino California.
Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) Committees
 Homeowner and residential building volunteers that have adopted emergency preparedness plans.
Pearl District Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET)
 Portland residents trained by PBEM and Portland Fire & Rescue to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own
neighborhoods.
Power Inverter
 An electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).
Wattage
 Amount of electrical power, expressed in watts
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Appendix B –Proof of Concept Procurement List
Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) 13
Sample PDNA Proof of Concept (POC) Procurement List
Quantity Item Usage Price
1 Champion 3400-watt dual fuel inverter generator Dedicated for NET base camp operations $1100
1 20 lbs. liquid propane (LP) tank (empty) Store with inverter generator to support immediate operation $30
1 Liquid propane (LP) Required for immediate operation support $20
1 Conventional 10w30 motor oil (quart) Required for break-in period $10
1 Synthetic 10w30 motor oil (quart) Post break-in and long-term storage $10
2 GFCI inline with 18" Single Outlet Cord Provide safe operation in wet conditions $40
4 6 outlet power strips Support multiple electric devices $22
2 15ft 12 gauge heavy duty, extension cord 12AWG Support flexible location / placement of inverter generator $50
1 Siphon transfer pump kit with 2 x 50 inch hoses Siphon gasoline from vehicles $11
1 5 gallon spill proof gas can (empty) Transport and store siphoned gasoline $20
1 20 gallon storage tote Store power cords, siphon, generator parts, manuals, etc. $30
1 8-port USB car charger (cigarette lighter adapter) Dedicated to mobile device charging $18
1 12v DC to 120v AC power inverter Demonstrate 120v AC using car batteries $65
Total $1426

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Appendix C – Sample Wattage Chart
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Sample Wattage Chart
Electric Item Running Watts Starting Watts
Air Compressor (1 hp) 1600 4500
Angle Grinder 900 1000
Cell Phone Charger 12 0
Circular Saw 1400 2300
Drill (1/4") 500 600
Drill (1/2") 600 900
iPad / Tablet 10-20 0
Laptop Computer 20-75 0
Mobility Scooters 50 – 90 0
Reciprocating Saw 960 0
Space Heater 750 - 1500 0
Box Fan 200 0

15. 12/26/2017Emergency Preparedness (E-Prep) 15