Power outages are more common these days with climate-change-powered more frequent and stronger storms plus our reliance on electrical devices these days. More and more people are looking for backup power sources in case of an outage or rolling blackout due to natural gas supply shortages.
We’ve had experience with propane backup generators in the past. We had them in two previous houses but this time we went with rooftop solar plus Tesla Powerwall II for backup – local energy generation via my roof and energy storage in my basement.
The battery backup provides dual purposes. Storing solar power generated during the day to be used at night and power during outages. The benefits of healthy living and peace of mind are great.
Benefits of Whole House Battery System Vs. Propane or Natural Gas Backup Generator
- No noise. (listening to a noisy propane or gas generator for hours is maddening!)
- No fossil fuels.
- No toxic fumes.
- No oil changes.
- No weekly warm-ups.
- No maintenance.
- No moving parts to repair or break.
- Split-second transfer.
- Pays for itself in 10 years.
- 30% tax credit on the battery starting in 2023 (30% on panels starting in 2022).
Our propane whole-house generators certainly never paid for themselves. And they were expensive to operate. Propane’s current average price is $3.84 / Gallon here in New Hampshire.
Here is the breakdown of operating costs. A typical home will burn through around 2 to 3 gallons of propane an hour. So it will cost $7.68 to $11.40 per hour to run a propane backup generator!
That’s a lot of money to spend on outages that typically only last several hours at a time. In a study of New Hampshire during 2008 to 2013 there was an average of 988 minutes or 16.5 hours a year of outages.
A propane backup generator has to go through a warmup cycle each week. It turns itself on for 20 minutes each week so in other words, it runs at a minimum for just over 17 hours just to keep itself ready. The warm-up cycles will cost $65 as a minimum. And oil changes at 100 hours. Most installers will sign you up (and charge you) for an annual tune-up.
And one should consider their carbon footprint when considering burning any fossil fuel. A battery backup charged by solar panels has virtually no carbon footprint. A battery charged up by the grid relies on whatever power sources your state uses. Typically a mix of alternative energy (wind, solar, hydro) and nuclear, oil, gas, coal.
One gallon of propane emits 12.61 pounds (5,719 grams) of CO2 when combusted, and driving one mile on average emits 351 grams of CO2.
Now a propane backup generator will continue to run until the propane tank is empty. So depending on how full it was before the outage and what other gas appliances you are using will determine how long you will have power.
A single Tesla Powerwall II holds 13.5 kWh of energy when fully charged. How long it will run during a power outage will be determined by what you are running. If you are just running your refrigerator, you could run it for days. If everything in your house is running like normal, you can only expect half a day’s power.
The usable storage capacity is a measurement of how much electricity a battery stores. Usable storage capacity is listed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) since it represents using a certain amount of electricity (kW) over a certain amount of time (hours).
Tesla Powerwall usable storage capacity = 13.5 kWh
Functionally, this means you can use either 13.5 kW for 1 hour, 1 kW for 13.5 hours, or something in between.
– Tesla
Most power outages only last a few hours and if you have solar panels, the battery will recharge the next day if there is enough sun. No relying on a delivery truck trying to make it up a slippery icy driveway or not being able to get a delivery due to shortages.
How long do most power outages last? Most power outages will be over almost as soon as they begin, but some can last much longer – up to days or even weeks. Power outages are often caused by freezing rain, sleet storms and/or high winds which damage power lines and equipment. Cold snaps or heat waves can also overload the electric power system.
If you want to dip your toe into battery backup power for your home, you can purchase portable “camping” batteries and even small solar panels. We used one of these battery packs to run our WIFI router during an outage. Typically our power will go out but not our WIFI. With a laptop fully charged before the outage, we are able to watch a movie. We just don’t open the fridge, light some candles, cook dinner on the gas range or grill and light a fire in the fireplace. Usually, the power would come back on by morning.
If not one can recharge these units from the cigarette lighter in the car. Charge it up while you drive around to see where the utility trucks are.
I bought this set up for my Mom down in Fort Myers. After Hurricane Ian she was without power for days. The retirement community set up a central power area so residents could line up to recharge their cell phones but it was a major pain to walk through the storm debris and then wait for hours for the phones to charge. Now with this large battery and portable solar panel, she can at least recharge her phone from her apartment or outside in the common areas.
This power unit plus solar panels for recharging is perfect for that unexpected power outage to run some essentials. Power 90% home appliances with 1002Wh (1000W AC output power) and 8 outlets (3*AC outlet, 1*USB-A , 1*USB-A quick charge 3.0, 2*USB-C PD, 1*Car outlet).
Ideal for outdoor off-grid activities and home backup power to power refrigerator, TV, mini cooler, electric grill, fan, and more for your outdoor and home needs.
Will it match the power of a whole house batter like the Telsa Powerwall? No, but in a pinch, it might be all you need to keep some essentials running without having to store gasoline or propane.
At a minimum, one should buy one of these small backup electrical batteries for each bedroom/person in your household. It features a huge LED light as well as charger ports for everyone’s devices. I recommend buying one for each person in the house so they can manage their own power usage and not fight over charging their cell phones, tablets or even running a video game. Get one for each kid in the house for a more pleasant outage experience!
These smaller generators pair well with smaller solar panels since you are more likely to reach 100% recharge when the sun is out. A larger power unit would require larger panels. About four hours of good sun will recharge your backup battery. You can also charge devices directly via the panel, a built-in advanced chip, which delivers a charging efficiency that is 30% faster than a traditional controller. Intelligently identifies your device, and maximizes its charging speed while protecting your devices from overcharging and overloading. The charging current is monitored and automatically adjusted according to the sunlight level.