Electrical Basics & Backup Power This is not a home wiring skill -- the survival-basics skill covers outlets and switches. This is about understanding the electrical system in your building and what to do when the grid goes down. Two things kill people in power outages: carbon monoxide from generators run indoors, and electrocution of utility workers from generators backfed into the grid. Both are preventable with basic knowledge. Beyond emergency generators, a basic understanding of solar and battery backup means you can keep critical systems running during extended outages without risking a…