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When Massachusetts native John Sweeney found himself in the thick of an ice storm that left his house without power for days, he did the only sensible thing to do. He rigged up his Prius to power his home and appliances, so he could wait out the storm in comfort.
The story from Jalopnik tells the tale of this innovative man who powered his house with his hybrid—and was able to enjoy the luxuries of heating, lighting, even television while his neighbors were probably huddled close, prodding that last burning ember in the ever-darkening fireplace. It's just one more incentive to finally get yourself a hybrid car.
So, if Mr. Sweeney can power his home with a hybrid in desperate times, can you? Well, with the right expertise, maybe?Sweeney happens to be an electrical engineer.
Here's what he did, according to Jalopnik:
Using an inverter, he converted the DC power coming out of the car into AC power for his house. Though he couldn't run his entire house one his one car, they were able to get approximately 17 Kilowatt hours of energy. This was enough to power his refrigerator/freezer, television, lights, wood stove fan and accessories for a few days.
And while it's true that any car battery would work, with the proper adjustments, a hybrid battery is ideal for the operation:
The Prius carries a much larger batter pack than a regular car, allowing someone to power more appliances for longer than the conventional AC Delco found in most cars. And . . . because the Prius automatically turns itself on when the batteries drain to a certain level, Sweeney left the car running and it automatically turned over when it needed to recharge—about once every 30 minutes. If you were trying to do what Sweeney did with a non-hybrid, you'd find yourself spending a lot more time outside in the cold.
And here's the best part: the total amount of gas the Prius used to power Sweeney's home for three whole days? Five gallons. Now that's efficiency.
Note: Don't try this unless you're a mechanic or an electric engineer, or you're way, way better with machinery than I am.
For more on all things hybrid, check out our How to Go Green: Hybrid guide.
