How to power your home without a gas generator

Instead, he and other experts recommend investing in the world’s most sustainable energy sources, namely solar and battery technology. These components can range from portable solar batteries to larger home setups that include rooftop solar panels connected to battery storage systems. Depending on the technology and how much energy you use, some of these systems can power an entire home for days during an outage. They can also offer year-round benefits, including lower utility costs.

“A gas storage generator for your home is like an insurance policy where it doesn’t pay any value until a really bad day,” said Mark Dyson, chief executive of Carbon Free Energy. at the RMI think tank. “Other solutions we’d like to explore – like solar storage plus storage, for example – save money every day and provide a backup in case of an emergency.”

We looked at how solar batteries stack up against traditional fossil fuel generators. Here’s what you need to know.

The size of the generator or battery storage depends on how much power you need, said Noah Kittner, an energy management expert and assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

These are the oldest and most common types of generators. They run on a variety of fuels, including diesel, propane and natural gas, and can be portable or permanently installed.

You can use them to power a variety of electronic devices, larger appliances, and entire homes. The amount of resources a fuel generator can use depends on its size, power and how much fuel you have.

Batteries also come in different sizes and can be portable or installed. Small batteries can be enough to keep a small electric fan running, charge cell phones or power a radio.

For a refrigerator, you can look for at least eight to 12 hours of storage power, Kittner said. Standard household-sized rechargeable lithium-ion batteries can provide this power.

Self-contained batteries have time, Dyson said. Even larger ones can run out of juice quickly if you use them to power appliances that draw a lot of energy, such as stoves or air conditioners. That means that if you use these batteries during an outage, once they are depleted you will need to wait for the power to come back or find another way to charge them.

Portable batteries, which differ in their capacity, it can come with small solar panels, so they can charge without being plugged in.

You can also have larger systems with rooftop solar panels connected to battery storage systems. These living arrangements can benefit homeowners even when the power is out, said Z. Smith, principal and director of operations and building operations at EskewDumezRipple, an architectural firm with and offices in New Orleans and Washington, DC.

“The economy of the battery and the solar system, you get the benefit all the time, while the generator is a dead loss and its benefit is only there during the blackout,” Smith said.

Rooftop solar and storage systems are connected directly to home power plants, Dyson said. Most portable batteries connect to devices directly or via extension cords. Similar to a fuel-based backup generator, some larger batteries can be connected to switches, which connect them to your electrical panel, he said. When the power goes out, the device causes your home to draw power from your storage source instead of from the power grid.

Emergency power sources can be more effective if your home is properly insulated and weather-proofed to prevent air leaks, Dyson said.

No matter what type of power you have, be aware of your power usage during outages, Burke said.

“It’s often necessary to … be careful about how you use your energy in your home,” he said. “You couldn’t run the dishwasher, the dishwasher and the dryer, everything in the house at the same time. These are emergency situations. ”

Avoiding harmful, polluting emissions is one of the primary benefits of not using fossil fuel generators.

These generators produce smoke that contains harmful pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates and carbon dioxide. Running them can also release carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can kill people within minutes if it fills a home. Generators also tend to be noisy.

“One of the biggest concerns is about local air quality,” Burke said. “Imagine a neighborhood goes out of power and every house or every house has some kind of burning residue all the time, it’s burning in style strange and humid – so all the compounds that enter the ozone are very bad, causing severe respiratory distress.”

You should not run fuel-burning generators inside your home or garage, even if the windows are left open. Place portable generators at least 20 feet away from any living space, open windows or garages that have liquid pumped away from homes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“It’s important for people to understand that if they do this kind of random thing of getting a gasoline generator and keeping it powered and putting it on their porch or something like that, you’re basically bringing which could be a source of danger. or near your home,” said Smith.

The cost of any type of generator will depend, in part, on its size and technology, but prices can also vary among similar models.

For example, a 5,000-watt portable diesel generator, a standard size for small homes, apartments, and RVs, can cost anywhere from $500 to more than $5,000. a single solar battery that can produce 5,000 watts at all times costs about $4,700.

If you want a heavier version of energy storage, it will cost more. The initial cost of installing a solar generator and battery storage system will be significantly higher than the same size gasoline or diesel generator, Dyson said. But these methods can generate income for homeowners in the long term and there are federal tax incentives, and in some cases, non-cash financing options, to help lower technology costs and enter.

“If you look at the value of solar alone, in many places in the country it pays off quickly,” Dyson said. He added that storage batteries are becoming more expensive.

Meanwhile, maintenance costs with conventional generators can add up over time. Without regular maintenance, your generator may not work when you need it.

“The difference is that a diesel generator is only sitting where it breaks down, whereas a solar and battery system gives you value all the time and adding a battery can give you stability,” Smith said.