Super typhoon Odette (also known as Rai internationally) made landfall on Siargao, a popular tourist destination noted for its unspoiled beaches and surfing, in December 2021 before wreaking havoc on many provinces in the Visayas, the second-largest group of islands in the Philippines. Numerous other provinces in the area were also severely damaged by Rai, including Bohol, the home of the Philippines’ most famous chocolate, and Tacloban, Leyte, which is still recuperating seven years after being hit by Typhoon Haiyan (also known locally as Yolanda).
Odette showed particular interest in Bohol and Cebu as it rumbled through the Visayas. Eventually reaching the strength of a Category 5 storm, it swept across a 600-mile span on both sides with sustained winds of about 100 mph (160 km/h). Over 80,000 homes had been destroyed by the time it left the Philippines a day later, and it had forced 481,000 people from their homes in Cebu alone. According to the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, a total of 992,000 dwellings were damaged and 368,000 were completely destroyed over the whole region (PDRRMC).
Shelter, electricity, and water were the three most pressing needs. The quickest electricity fix was solar power kits, each of which could power a single residence. The majority of the demands were covered by large corporations, numerous non-governmental organizations, and church organizations.
Additionally, there were outstanding efforts made on the ground that were comparatively lesser in scale.
Nelson Archival, a councilor representing Cebu City, converted his Nissan LEAF into a power plant for his supporters just before Christmas. He drove this vehicle between various barangays (small towns) and offered power for charging tiny devices from six in the morning till noon.
Yes, I charged my cellphone and other battery-powered devices including lights, laptops, electric fans, and nebulizers using the Nissan LEAF. According to Archival, the LEAF has a lot of potential that can be exploited, but because of our charging infrastructure, we can only use 10% of the capacity.
Unknowingly, Archival joined the Blue Switch experiment, which Nissan started in 2018. This presentation and numerous others throughout Japan illustrated the use of electric vehicles as power sources through lessons learned in the wake of the tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
I’m aware that my automobile may recharge itself and then send power back to the grid. In those crucial few days when there was no power, I asked my dealer to help me put this into action, and I was able to move around many disaster areas and deliver power there, Archival relates, noting that his dealer lent a second LEAF to serve more communities as the power situation did not improve.
A LEAF can be parked inside a structure or close to individuals huddling together to recharge their electronics because it is absolutely silent and emits no exhaust fumes. In order to provide power where it is needed, the Blue Switch program calls for collaboration with local governments and communities. More than 100 municipalities in Japan are connected to this initiative. Nissan has not yet opened an office in the Philippines because there are no agreements in place with any municipal governments there.
According to
Archival, the electricity officials drew out a plan to restore power up to 80% by January 31, 2022, when Typhoon Rai passed. However, that didn’t occur.
Yes, there were still some places without electricity for a further 30 days. But in mountainous locations, it was particularly challenging, so we had to travel to the closest drive-able location where we could set up a tent and begin our charging stations. In such regions, we attempted to offer a lifeline with my car, Archival explained in Cebuano.
The city councilor has already identified places and drawn out plans with local government entities preparing for the worst as they get ready for this year’s hurricane season. A neighborhood icon, Councilor Archival’s residence is renowned for its solar panel array and other environmentally friendly features, such as rainwater collecting and garbage management.
The V2x is a crucial capacity that I discovered with the LEAF. The vehicle-to-everything (V2X) technology provides bi-directional charging so that you can utilize the energy from your car’s battery to power your house and other items, or just send energy back to the power grid. We are prepared thanks to my 10-kilowatt solar system and batteries, and my automobile is always ready to be charged. He says, “I can say that I am prepared for everything.”
*This essay was first written by the author for CleanTechnica.com five months ago. For publication, it has been updated.
Do you value the unique reporting and cleantech news coverage on CleanTechnica? Consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador. Don’t miss a cleantech story, will ya? Register for daily news updates from CleanTechnica by email. Or follow us on Google News Want to advertise with CleanTechnica, send us a tip, or propose a speaker for our podcast CleanTech Talk? You can reach us here.
