Whole House Solar Generator
Power outages are seriously inconvenient and often dangerous. They can damage or completely ruin electrical systems and appliances, and you may be in hot water if critical systems are without a power source. Most homes rely heavily on electricity for all sorts of things. Grid power, although often reliable, goes down when it's least convenient (it's never convenient!) leaving you with zero electricity.
Power outages often come from stressing the power grid; Particularly hot stretches of time (hello... global warming), natural disasters or serious storms are all common causes for power outages. Outright negligence and poorly maintained grid equipment from utility companies is another increasingly common reason.
One way to prepare yourself for the inevitable power outages is to invest in a whole house backup generator, and while you're researching options, it's a good time to learn about solar-powered generators. Solar-powered generators are power sources that convert sunlight into electrical power by means of a solar panel. They work similarly to a rooftop solar system, but aren't made for extended periods, and many, but not all, are paired with batteries so you can store electricity for later consumption (that last part was important).
Solar-powered generators act similarly to conventional generators, but aren't reliant on a fuel source other than the sun. For ultimate flexibility, many generators have multiple methods of charging, whether through a wall outlet, car-plug in or solar panels. This degree of flexibility may be ideal for rolling with the black outs.
Making the switch to a solar power generator will not only help you be more independent and flexible when it comes to back-up electricity needs but also pay less in energy costs, have a less noisy system and is environmentally friendly.
Before you choose to get your own solar generator, it's important to determine how much power you need, what the needed storage capacity should be, and which battery type is ideal for your situation.
This article will cover much of the information needed for setting up a solar power system and a home solar backup generator for everyday needs.
How Much Backup Power do You Need for Your House?
Let's start from the beginning. Each home is different when it comes to how much continuous power it needs. With that said, you need to find out how much battery storage is needed to cover emergency circumstances and ordinary electricity usage.
If you plan on having your home completely disconnected from the electrical grid (or if you want solar panels for your RV), then you'll need a battery with a lot of capacity. The reason for this is that solar power is simply not consistent enough to keep your entire home's energy usage online at all times .
Contrary to that, if you just want to keep some emergency power at the ready in case of an electricity outage, then your solar-powered generator and battery capacity won't need to be as large. In emergency situations, it's a good idea to power-down and unplug all unnecessary appliances. Rotating power through your home as you need is an effective method to get more life out of your battery during outages.
When it comes to solar-powered generators, they are usually divided into three categories, based on the amount of electricity they generate and how much storage they have.
Large Solar Generators
The larger solar-powered generators can be expensive, a bit bulky, and may be a bit tedious to set up, but their battery capacity and power generation are unparalleled. A single Titan Solar Generator for example can store up to 2,000Wh, one of the largest systems on the market today, and more than enough to withstand extended periods of grid outages to run appliances and keep the lights on during the entire day.
They are effective in virtually all situations so long as you're not mobile.
Medium Solar Generators
Medium solar generators are, in some cases, the ideal choice. They can store between 1000Wh and 2000Wh of power and are pretty light coming in between 'just' 30lbs and 75lbs making them easier to install and carry.
These solar-powered generators are great in the form of portable power and having multiple solar panels on them can come in handy in a variety of situations. If you're looking into a back-up system for your home, and your home isn't on wheels, you may want to make sure these systems are powerful enough.
Pairing with a solar panel, these systems are great to store solar energy with increased flexibility. They can be a fun and useful addition for camping trips thanks to having more batteries than their smaller solar generator counterparts.
Small Solar Generators
Small solar-powered generators are light, extremely portable, and provide enough power for powering electronics and lights for a couple of hours. But this is also their downside - they aren't good when it comes to operating as complete power backup generators.
Small solar-powered generators can store up to 1000Wh making them fairly useless for larger power needs.
They do, however, come with a couple of other benefits. For starters, you'll be able to use them in the case of most emergencies. They'll also help you save money, although not as much as a fully-fledged solar farm.
The Process of Connecting a Solar Generator to Your Home
There are two options you can go for when it comes to connecting solar-powered generators to a home. The first one is to use the device(s) independently. The second is to integrate it into your home's electrical power system.
The latter shouldn't be done with small solar-powered generators as they cannot handle the electricity requirements.
Now it's time to describe the difference between these methods of acquiring backup power from solar-powered generators:
Home Integration or Independent Operation
Home integration requires you to make the switch from getting your electricity from the grid to getting it from the lithium-ion batteries of the solar generator. If an outage were to happen, you'd be completely safe considering all of your power is coming from your generator.
An independent operation, on the other hand, simply means that you'll take the portable power with you wherever you need it. Having portable power is very handy if you travel or camp a lot, but it can also be useful for the RVs we mentioned previously.
As you'd expect, highly portable solar generators lack the power to run your home. Unfortunately, these solar generators are usually limited to DC, AC, or USB plugs, so even if you want to use a wall outlet or car outlet, you'll need to find out whether or not such a connection is even possible.
Transfer Switch
To connect your solar generator with your home, you'll need to incorporate a transfer switch.
In the case of a generator for residential whole house power use, the generator is plugged into the transfer switch located on the circuit panel. When the generator is turned on, the transfer switch changes the load from grid power to the generator.
Incorporating these changes to your home's electrical system may require a licensed electrician.
Using a Solar Power Kit as a Whole House Backup Generator
We need to remember that solar generators are relatively new pieces of technology. Sure, solar panels have been there for a longer period of time but the generators themselves have just recently been affordable and useful to homeowners.
Getting a solar kit is an excellent choice if you have a knack for DIY work. A solar kit comes with all the solar components you need (including solar panels, charge controllers, etc.) to get your own solar generator going. If you aren't the neighborhood handyman, you may want to consider hiring the services of an expert to install your backup energy system.
The following few sections will go into detail about each of the solar components that, together, complete a solar system.
Purchase the correct solar panels
Solar panels are arguably the most important component of a solar generator. Each solar panel is specifically rated for how much output it can create. Once you figure out how much power you need to keep your energy grid flowing, you'll be able to find out just how many solar panels are required.
Keep in mind that a quality lithium-ion battery is needed in case of outages or bad weather. Solar generators can only fill the lithium batteries if the Sun is out which means your grid will start relying on batteries in case it's cloudy outside.
As mentioned before, you should aim to get at least a medium-sized solar generator as it's both a source of portable power and provides enough electricity for part or the entirety of a home's power needs.
When purchasing a solar generator, pay attention to the panel efficiency and warranty period in case something goes wrong.
Additionally, a solar kit can come with solar panels already installed (and typically you won't be able to remove them).
Charge controllers
Charge controllers act as a protection device for your solar panels and battery packs, preventing overcharging and over-discharging while maximizing the solar charging process at the same time. Systems will typically come with one charge controller, though larger systems may offer compatibility for multiple, which increases the potential usability of your system.
Solar batteries
Batteries are the lifeline of your off-grid generator system. Even the best solar generators need to store their huge amounts of power somewhere and having enough reliable batteries to accommodate that is crucial.
But - you really can't go overboard with battery storage; just don't have too little of it. In any case, buying more batteries than what's needed at the moment won't do any harm but you'll spend more money than necessary.
The most important piece of information to remember is to take the voltage of your existing system into account. If you plan on getting 12V solar panels, then you'll need 12V batteries - the same goes for 24V systems.
As for the battery count, you'll most likely need a couple or more of them to accommodate the electrical demands of your home, in the event of an outage. On top of that, there are two main categories of solar batteries:
Lithium-ion battery
Lithium-ion batteries are excellent in many ways. They can store more energy than their lead-acid counterparts, are more durable and longer-lasting, and are much lighter. The only major downside of them is that they are pricey.
However, the recent advancements in solar array, solar panel, and solar battery technologies have begun slowly lowering the price of said batteries.
Flooded and sealed lead-acid battery
Flooded and sealed lead-acid batteries are still popular among homeowners who want to save some money while getting great electrical performance from the batteries.
A word of advice - flooded batteries are the least efficient out of the bunch and require a lot of maintenance; maintenance that the sealed lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries do not need. So your only realistic option (if you're looking to save some cash) is the sealed lead-acid batteries.
Top it off with an inverter
A solar inverter is needed to regulate how much of the total electric energy you can use at any time. They are rated for surge and continuous wattage capacity and help homeowners clearly see how safe their temporary and ongoing electric load is.
Although the numbers are different depending on the voltage, most independent solar inverters have a capacity of 4000 continuous watts and more.
You'll need to pay attention to whether or not the inverter is capable of seamlessly switching to stored battery power if the electric grid goes down.
Final Words
Switching to solar energy is one of the best choices you can make for yourself and your wallet. And, a solar generator with the appropriate batteries will keep you going for way more than needed in case a power outage happens.
The best solar-powered generators are capable of providing incredible amounts of power; so much that you can become truly independent from the grid. On top of that, you'll be able to use that clean energy in situations where portable power is needed.
A final piece of advice for you - if you aren't a DIY sort of person or have absolutely no experience with electric power, you'd best contact a licensed electrician to help out. Just in case. Good luck!
