78. Dirty Electricity, but Not the Kind You Think

Dirty Electricity, but Not the Kind You Think When most people hear the term “dirty electricity,” they probably think of power generated from sources considered more-polluting, such as coal, natural gas, or other fossil fuels. However, Satic Inc., an electronics manufacturer and professional engineering firm based in Missoula, Montana, says electricity in homes and businesses is filled with “electrical pollution” that is not necessarily associated with dirty fuels. In fact, the company claims solar power is one of the main sources of dirty electricity. “Dirty electricity specifically comes from three different main culprit places. Number one, it’s delivered to our panel. Number two, we make it with our electronics—our solar inverters, our LED lighting, our DC devices. And, the wiring in our home—maybe half a mile of high-quality copper wiring—acts as a super antenna. So, that’s how we get dirty electricity into our house. What defines it specifically is, it’s electricity that has distortion or interference, low power factor, etcetera, on it,” B.D. Erickson, Satic’s CEO, said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. Dirty electricity may affect more than just electrical devices. Some people claim to have a hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), and they report symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, headaches, problems with concentration and memory, and sleep disturbances as a result of exposure to dirty electricity. While studies on the effects of exposure to EMFs have in some cases been conflicting, Erickson said his son experienced symptoms when the family moved into a home located near large power transmission lines, which is what led him to research the topic. “Electricity has eight attributes that need to be within an acceptable realm, and if they’re not within that acceptable realm, they are considered dirty,” Erickson said. He explained the eight attributes are volts, amps, watts, electromagnetic fields, total harmonic distortion, interference, ohms law of resistance, and frequency. Erickson said when el