North Carolina is experiencing extreme heat this week which will take a toll on HVAC systems and the power grid across the Triangle.
Duke Energy officials share how crews prepare the grid and how homeowners can get ready for the intense heat wave.
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“We prepare really months in advance to be ready for these situations throughout the year,” said Jeff Brooks with Duke Energy. “That begins with the maintenance on our power plants to make sure they are in top running condition.”
WRAL's team of meteorologists forecast this heat wave to be the most intense of the season, lasting at least six days of heat index values above 105 degrees.
With more dangerously high temperatures and humidity heading our way, the utility company is urging customers to reduce electricity use, especially during the afternoon hours, to help ease the strain.
“When energy usage goes higher, that’s an opportunity to save even more on your bill. For example, even just [changing] your thermostat a couple of degrees will translate to a couple of savings on your bill,” said Carolina Fountain, a spokesperson for Duke Energy.
They also ask residents to take simple steps to conserve energy by raising their thermostats.
These steps include raising thermostats to the highest comfortable setting, postponing laundry and dishwashing, avoiding prolonged use of ovens and stoves and turning off unnecessary lights and appliances.
“If you’re using less energy, you’ll be saving more on your bill, which is a win-win," Fountain said.
Try to run appliance at night or early in the morning, before the day gets hotter, and keep thermostats turned up, especially if you're out of the house.
"Use those heat-producing appliances in the cool morning hours and turn your thermostat up," Fountain said. "Let’s say you’re out for the day, working or doing errands, that’s a great opportunity to turn it up a few degrees."
Duke Energy emphasized that even small changes in energy use can help maintain normal operations and protect the grid during extreme weather conditions.
Fountain also suggests using ceiling fans, closing blinds or curtains, using warm water for laundry and taking advantage of a free home energy assessment program. Your ceiling fan should spin counterclockwise during the summer.
“Looking toward the future, we have a free home energy assessment where an energy advisor comes out to your home and looks at opportunities where you can save. That’s a great program that we have, again, free of charge for our customers who are homeowners,” she added.
In the next few years, Brooks said Duke Energy hopes to be able to store electricity for weather events, like the heat wave next week, when power usage is expected to increase.
“To be able to shift that solar generation from the times of day when it’s really powerful to when we need it most, that is part of our grid improvement strategy,” Brooks said.