# Solar Storms: Map reveals Minnesota and Wisconsin are at the highest risk in the US



## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

That would certainly be devastating here in MN, especially in the middle of winter. I find myself asking how one can determine which area of rotating planet can be the most susceptible?

Map reveals Minnesota is worst hit by solar storms that can knock out power for millions | Daily Mail Online


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

This is a bunch of guesses based on incomplete data. How do you know that Arizona will not be worse? Or New York? I find it hard to make conclusions from this one way or another. Evidently MN and WI are more likely than the Pacific Northwest to be affected by solar storms. That is the only thing I can conclude but the article still doesn't discuss how and what factors were considered and why. The entire premises could be false.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Camel923 said:


> This is a bunch of guesses based on incomplete data. How do you know that Arizona will not be worse? Or New York? I find it hard to make conclusions from this one way or another. Evidently MN and WI are more likely than the Pacific Northwest to be affected by solar storms. That is the only thing I can conclude but the article still doesn't discuss how and what factors were considered and why. The entire premises could've false.


I guess you do not need real analysis when you can blame it on man-made climate change.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

I think the rotation of the planet is not a major factor as the impact of a solar storm is normally the strongest at the poles due to the magnetic fields converging there. That is why you northern folks can see the aurora borealis, while us southerners can't. Granted, during a major storm, the effects would move further south. During the last major storm, the Carrington Event of 1859, they said folks on the equator could see the northern lights & that folks around you could read a newspaper at night as they were so bright.

I've never heard anyone also tie in the magnetic material in the ground rock, but that makes sense. We don't appear to have much of that down here either.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

If you're super concerned about solar storms or lightning strikes damaging stuff in your home get a good SPD (surge protection device) and wire it at your fuse box. It' won't keep the local grid going but they will help keep the surge out of your home. 
This is the model a home would use.
https://www.solar-electric.com/midnite-solar-mnspd-300-ac-surge-protector.html


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

******* said:


> I think the rotation of the planet is not a major factor as the impact of a solar storm is normally the strongest at the poles due to the magnetic fields converging there. That is why you northern folks can see the aurora borealis, while us southerners can't. Granted, during a major storm, the effects would move further south. During the last major storm, the Carrington Event of 1859, they said folks on the equator could see the northern lights & that folks around you could read a newspaper as they were so bright.
> 
> I've never heard anyone also tie in the magnetic material in the ground rock, but that makes sense. We don't appear to have much of that down here either.


Makes some sense. I think that I have only seen the Northern Lights like twice in my lifetime in MN.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

John Galt said:


> If you're super concerned about solar storms or lightning strikes damaging stuff in your home get a good SPD (surge protection device) and wire it at your fuse box. It' won't keep the local grid going but they will help keep the surge out of your home.
> This is the model a home would use.
> https://www.solar-electric.com/midnite-solar-mnspd-300-ac-surge-protector.html


I just protected my house this year, after a lightening strike took out most of the appliances & fuse box of a friend's house. Doesn't cost much but the added protection is nice.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

******* said:


> I just protected my house like this this year, after a lightening strike took out most of the appliances & fuse box of a friend's house. Doesn't cost much but the added protection is nice.


My home is on a hill and get's a good lightening strike about once a year. My neighbors 300 yds away and a little further from where the strike hits tend to loose electronics about once a year but I never do (several neighbors now asking about my SPDs. Since I've got a serious solar setup I have 4 SPDs (2 AC and 2 DC) to keep the lightening out. I also made my electric fence a solar powered one since electric fences are a great pathway for lightening to get into your home.

A video of them testing these SPDs simulating lightening. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...4DFF7935DF348CEF1E834DFF7935DF348CE&FORM=VIRE


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

John Galt said:


> My home is on a hill and get's a good lightening strike about once a year. My neighbors 300 yds away and a little further from where the strike hits tend to loose electronics about once a year but I never do (several neighbors now asking about my SPDs. Since I've got a serious solar setup I have 4 SPDs (2 AC and 2 DC) to keep the lightening out. I also made my electric fence a solar powered one since electric fences are a great pathway for lightening to get into your home.
> 
> A video of them testing these SPDs simulating lightening. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...4DFF7935DF348CEF1E834DFF7935DF348CE&FORM=VIRE


I too live out in the country on a hill. Part of my prepping is having a Grundfos Flex pump and a few Solarworld 280w panels in storage in my barn. My switchbox is already wired with a Delta lightening arrestor, to provide protection to the system. That plus several ground rods.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Going to cut a little more firewood. Already have a reserve pile but it won't hurt to have a little extra. Rather spend time reloading when it's -20 then gathering wood.


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## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Chipper said:


> Going to cut a little more firewood. Already have a reserve pile but it won't hurt to have a little extra. Rather spend time reloading when it's -20 then gathering wood.


Cut me some as well, would you?


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

Here is the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center site:

3-Day Geomagnetic Forecast | NOAA / NWS Space Weather Prediction Center


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

******* said:


> I too live out in the country on a hill. Part of my prepping is having a Grundfos Flex pump and a few Solarworld 280w panels in storage in my barn. My switchbox is already wired with a Delta lightening arrestor, to provide protection to the system. That plus several ground rods.


Be extremely careful when using more than one ground rod. Grounding to minimize damage is more of an art than a science (NEC is very vague on AC/DC combined ground specs)but it's generally agreed that the only time you want more than one ground rod is when you have several in a circle pattern all connected in series to a single 10 ga (6 ga for solar applications) ground wire the connect to your equipment (usually at the breaker box) at only 1 point. An exception to this would be if the rods are at least 250 feet apart or they are grounding 2 systems which are electrically isolated, (at least on the earth ground) from each other.

Since my solar panels are 150' from the house's grounding rod I electrically separated the ground between the panels and the house and put a separate 8' rod in the ground hooked to the panel frames. At first the system was only running 158v so I didn't worry about grounding the panel frames but then I changed my controller and rewired the panels so I now run 358v from the panels. I didn't want to risk bring a lightening short (on the panels) into the house so I isolated the panel stand and panel frames from the house ground and drove another rod in the ground. The panel combiner box is electrically isolated (earth ground) from the panel stand and is separately grounded through the house ground.

Other grounding methods may actually increase the chances of equipment damage during a voltage spike.

If you've got a delta lightning arrestor you may want to watch the video I posted 3 posts up. That type of arrestor is only a spark gap device and not very durable.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

That's some heavy crap there, I mean in a good way. I usually just unplug things, do not have any solar stuff yet. wow, good info!


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

1skrewsloose said:


> That's some heavy crap there, I mean in a good way. I usually just unplug things, do not have any solar stuff yet. wow, good info!


Thanks, The more I tinker with solar the more I learn about building the system correctly. Building a basic not super efficient solar system is pretty easy but,,,, the devil is in the details if you want a really good durable system with all of the parts playing well together.


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