In the North Bay, many residents still had electricity during PG&E’s power shutoffs on Friday thanks to alternative energy sources.

PG&E The closures began on Thursday evening and predicted they will continue through Saturday to reduce fire danger during the current Red Flag Warning. When weather conditions improve, PG&E inspects power lines and equipment for possible damage. Power is then restored when it is safe to do so.

The power outages are currently impacting people in Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa, Santa Clara, Solano and Sonoma Counties.

Tim Miller is one of those Sonoma County residents, but he has no problem with it.

“In theory, if no one had notified us, we wouldn’t even know there was a power outage,” Miller said.

Miller started building his house in 2000, taking energy into account. He bought his property because it faces southwest and gets maximum sun exposure.

“As you can see right now, we’re fully charged right now,” Miller said, pointing to his solar panels on top of his garage. ‘All panels are illuminated. The sun is high. We’re getting a full load.’

He says he only relies on PG&E during the shortest days of winter, when they don’t get enough sun to fully charge the battery. While some of his neighbors are in the same boat, not all of them are.

“I feel sorry for them,” Miller said of his neighbors without power.

We spoke to one of his neighbors off camera, who has no power. They took all the food out of their refrigerator and freezer because they didn’t think it would stay cool all weekend.

Cal Fire’s Tire Zander says these closures could be critical to saving lives. They expect a high chance of falling trees and power lines, because wind gusts of 90 kilometers per hour are expected.

“With power lines, sometimes they break and fall to the ground. If they fall to the ground and they are still live or still hot, they can cause a fire,” says Zander.

Cal Fire is asking people not to mow their lawns this weekend, or do anything that could cause a spark that could start a fire. Dry vegetation can also contribute to fires growing quickly.

As for Miller, he says that as these shutdowns become more common, more and more people are prepared for them.

“There are probably more homes with solar in this community, or whatever you want to call it higher up the hill, than without,” Miller said.

At this time, PG&E expects power to be restored to most areas by Sunday afternoon.