09/17/2026
Most solar benefits show up on your bill. This one shows up when your neighbors' power doesn't.
Monday, we told you solar means more than a lower bill, real independence, real backup power when the grid goes down. Here's what that actually looked like for one of our customers.
When the Hawk Fire hit Reno, Brett McLane's neighborhood ended up on the edge of the evacuation zone. His power was out for 48 hours straight, in the middle of August, in Nevada. His Sol-Up system, paired with a Tesla Powerwall, kept his fridge running, his A/C on, and the lights on the whole time.
In his own words:
"I was out for a hike with my dogs in Graeagle, CA when the Hawk Fire started in Reno, NV.
I didn't think much of it when I saw the initial WatchDuty notification. A small 20 to 30 acre fire on the opposite side of Peavine Mountain from my house. By the time I was driving home, neighbors were texting me asking if I had a go bag ready. I had no idea how fast the winds had pushed the fire over the top of Peavine.
As of Monday, the fire was listed at over 15,000 acres. Our house stayed safely out of danger, sitting quite literally on the edge of the "Get Set" evacuation zone as the fire pushed north of us.
Our power was out from 5pm Saturday through 5pm Monday, about 48 hours in the middle of August in Nevada. I'm happy to report that my photovoltaic solar system from Sol-Up combined with a Tesla PowerWall kept our refrigerator running, our A/C on, and episodes of Ted Lasso on AppleTV streaming without interruption.
My own little version of energy sovereignty. Well worth the investment."
ā Brett McLane, Sol-Up customer, Reno, NV
It's National Clean Energy Week and we are committed to empowering people with energy independence across Nevada.
Curious what backup power with our Tesla Powerwall systems could look like at your place? Take two minutes and check with our free quote tool, link in bio.
