Solar Generators vs. Home Solar Storage Batteries for Power Outages
Preparing for power outages has become a regular task in many parts of the country. Even if you live in a region where the grid is in great shape, you want to be able to power your home. For solar panel users, home solar battery storage is one option that also allows them to store the excess power the panels generate during the day. However, those looking to save as much money as possible might wonder if a solar generator would be just as viable, especially if they plan to power only a few things in a power outage. If you're in this group, you need to think carefully before choosing the generator over the solar battery.
Generators Are Portable, but Power Is Limited
Home solar storage batteries are permanently installed. You can't move them, whereas you can move solar generators. This is helpful if you need to power one or two things in different parts of your home at different times. But power for the generators is limited, even though you can recharge at any time with the generator's solar panel attachment. A home battery connected to your solar panels on your roof will have much more power available and needs to be hooked up only to your home's electrical system to keep things going.
Batteries Need No Help to Switch On
That home battery is always "on." If the power goes out, you will not have to scramble to find the power-on switch for the battery, and you certainly won't have to do any additional setup. The same can't be said for the generator, though. You'd have to turn it on and hook it up. And even if you had it out and ready to go just in case, if the power outage happens during the day, you might not realize the power's gone out. During cooler weather when you don't have the air conditioner working, and during the day when you might not have lights on, it's not easy to tell that the power's gone out until you go to use something that requires electricity. So, you could go a couple of hours before discovering the power outage. If your home is hooked up to a battery connected to your solar panels, you won't lose power at all, unlike your unconnected neighbors.
Batteries Don't Need Active Charging
Home batteries have to be charged, but that charging is constant as the solar panels on the roof produce solar energy. When the generator is out of power, you have to hook up the solar panel attachment and actively start charging the generator.
It's Much Easier to Power Your Refrigerator With a Home Battery
Finally, while there are solar generators that are powerful enough to power your refrigerator, the cost can be about the same as a home battery. Models vary, of course, but after buying the solar panel attachment — because it doesn't always come with the generator, believe it or not — you're looking at a hefty price tag. Solar battery storage can be very pricey, but it pays off quickly, and there is no need to move the fridge, find the plug, and set up the generator. The home battery quietly feeds power to your home with no action on your part.