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King tides and storm surge: power on an exposed coast

When a king tide meets an onshore storm, low coastal roads and properties flood with seawater. Salt is far harder on electrical gear than rain.

When tides and storms line up

King tides are the highest tides of the year, and they are predictable. Storm surge is not. When a deep low pushes water onshore during a king tide, seawater can reach places that never flood in rain alone. Coastal substations and low-lying cable pits can trip, and lines along exposed roads take a battering. Check your local tide tables at the start of each season and mark the king tide dates on the calendar.

What it would keep running

  • Fridge and freezer of fish and bait
  • Sump pump under a beach house floor
  • Phone and VHF radio chargers
  • Modem for tide and surge warnings
  • Night lighting

Salt is the real enemy

Seawater is conductive and corrosive. Any electrical equipment that has been touched by it needs inspection before it runs again, and salt spray on a windy coast slowly attacks fittings, enclosures and terminals even when nothing floods. A coastal install should sit above the highest known inundation line, on the sheltered side of the house, with an enclosure suited to marine air.

Hose fresh water over outdoor fittings after a big blow if your installer recommends it, and look for white crusting or pitting on metal parts during your regular checks. Catching corrosion on a bracket or terminal early is far cheaper than finding it after it has failed in the middle of a storm.

How it works →
The H2OME loop: an electrolyser splits water into hydrogen, the hydrogen is stored in a tank for weeks, a fuel cell turns it into electricity for your home, and the water returns to the loop.

Riding out a surge event

Charge storage fully on the nights before a forecast king tide combined with a storm. If roads to the beach settlement are cut, backup power keeps the fridge, lights and phone going until the water drops. If water does reach the enclosure, leave it shut down and call for an inspection rather than restarting. Coastal properties rarely run micro-hydro, so a wind turbine is the likely off-grid charging source between grid outages.

Questions

Can the system be installed close to the sea?

Possibly, but siting is the big question. It needs to be above inundation levels and protected from salt spray. The pilot site assessment covers this. Some very exposed sites may not suit it, and we would say so.

Does salt air affect the electrolyser water?

The electrolyser draws on filtered, de-ionised water, not air, so salt air itself does not reach the water. Salty or brackish water in your tank would load the de-ionising stage heavily, so tell the pilot team if your tank water is affected by spray.

Will wind charging help in a coastal storm?

Only until gusts exceed the turbine's safe range, at which point it brakes or furls itself to avoid damage. Once the worst of the storm passes, strong and steady onshore winds can be very good charging weather, refilling storage before the grid comes back.

More in outages, weather and how it works

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