In this article, we will discuss Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons. Homeowners are seeking for home battery backup more than ever before to keep their power on during power outages.
This is especially true in California, where tens of thousands of people were impacted by Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which used utilities to stop forest fires.
In the past, households that wanted to be protected from power disruptions turned to backup gas generators. The safer, cleaner, and more dependable option today is solar combined with battery backup since modern technology has fundamentally changed this industry.
These are 10 reasons to consider of house batteries over generators.
In this article, we will discuss Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons.
Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons
Table of Contents
1. A quiet home battery backup system
You are already aware of how loud generators are if you have ever heard one. Generators really have a maximum operating decibel level of 8.5, which is comparable to a police whistle and a lawn mower.
Besides being bothersome to you and your neighbours, research conducted as far back as the 1960s have linked noise pollution to:
- Hearing loss
- Sleep disruption
- Cardiovascular disease
- Reduced productivity in work and school
- Negative social behavior
- Annoyance reactions
Generators can add to the stress of power outages, which can already be a stressful condition. Therefore it makes sense that many HOA rules and local regulations are broken by generators.
Home battery backup, however, is entirely audible. Even if you were standing directly next to your battery storage system, you wouldn’t be able to tell that it was powering your house.
Your family and your neighbours will appreciate your efforts to maintain tranquilly.
In this article, we will discuss Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons.
2. Utilizes Sustainable Energy for Home Battery Backup
Nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, and other hydrocarbons are all released by diesel generators. Generators powered by natural gas and propane also release harmful emissions.
The idea of generator emissions being close to your home should be equally unappealing given how dangerous it would be to lock yourself or your family inside your garage while your car is running.
In fact, when Hurricane Irma struck Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina in 2017, carbon monoxide poisoning from generators was blamed for more fatalities than the storm itself (16). (11).
Additionally, between 2005 and 2017, portable generators were blamed for 900 fatalities and 15,400 hospitalisations.
Batteries don’t produce any emissions at all. The health of your family won’t be harmed because they are completely sealed.
3. Batteries are more compact than generators
Built-in generators, which more nearly resemble the capabilities of home battery backup, have a larger footprint and can take up valuable yard space even if some portable generators can be fairly compact. You’ll probably also need to pour a sizable concrete pad to house the generator if you install one of these.
In contrast, wall-mounted backup battery storage requires no construction work. Batteries may easily be placed next to your solar panels, garage storage, and other items because they are only a few inches from the wall.
In this article, we will discuss Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons.
4. Home battery backup is always available
In the case of a power outage, even the greatest backup generators on the market require a few seconds to cycle up. Little children may become alarmed by this delay, which can also reset clocks and other devices and lead to unneeded stress.
You have the “fun” duty of starting your portable generator in the middle of a storm or heat wave while your appliances shut off and reset if your generator needs to be manually connected.
In contrast, when there is a power outage, battery power is immediately switched over to power circuits. The batteries respond to power shortages in a split second, frequently without even causing clocks to flash!
In this article, we will discuss Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons.
5. Dependable Battery Backup
Electric vehicles are very appealing since they don’t need the costly routine maintenance that internal combustion engines do. Oil changes are no longer necessary with EVs.
Similar to generators, home backup batteries require much less upkeep.
Generators typically require cycling at least once a month to ensure that all internal parts are lubricated and functioning properly. The majority of households will also employ a specialist to check the generator annually to make sure it is in good working condition. The failure of a generator to start when you need it most is the only thing worse than having to pay for one!
On the other side, battery storage requires zero maintenance. For the battery’s full service life, it won’t need any routine maintenance other from the occasional surface cleaning needed to keep the battery gleaming.
You can relax knowing that your house has a battery backup that is constantly prepared to defend you and your family in an emergency.
6. Earthquake-proof home battery backup
The local utility company turns off natural gas supply as one of its initial responses to an earthquake in order to prevent any fires brought on by broken gas lines.
If you reside in an earthquake-prone area like California, the benefit of having a built-in gas generator can be completely nullified because your fuel supply will be immediately shut off. Of course, battery backup eliminates this issue.
7. Solar and battery power can be used indefinitely
The amount of fuel you have on hand determines the backup length of portable generators. The generator will shut off and leave you without electricity if your propane or diesel supply is depleted. Natural gas generators fed by an underground pipe are an exception to this rule.
The battery can run forever when solar panels are used in conjunction with battery storage, though. Your solar battery will keep recharging itself if you configure your household’s consumption to be equal to your solar system’s daily output.
With this, you theoretically have the ability to operate without grid power indefinitely, which is fantastic for power outages and for long-term grid electricity cost savings.
In this article, we will discuss Why Home Battery Backup Beats Generators for These 10 Reasons.
8. Home Batteries May Help You Save Money
Only during a power outage can a backup generator be useful to you. Even if we suppose that you have three full days of power outages annually, or a complete 72 hours, that represents less than 1% of the time.
This means that you are investing thousands of dollars in a solution that, in the long run, offers very little value.
But, solar panels and battery systems run every day of the year and will help you save money by shifting load and cutting down on time of use, which will further lower your electricity cost.
Oh, and in the event that you do lose electricity, you are still insured.
9. Energy Independence is Made Possible by Battery Backup
Becoming energy independent appeals to the majority of homeowners. Self-sufficiency is a core American value, so producing your own energy while lowering dependency on the electric grid makes sense.
Even with a backup generator, you are still entirely dependent on the electric grid for power. You may produce, store, and consume your own electricity while using solar power and a battery backup system, which significantly lessens your reliance on the public utility.
In reality, having your own solar and battery storage can increase the resilience of your local grid. For instance, during California’s record heatwave in early September 2022, 80,000 residential solar-powered batteries supplied about 340 MW of power (more than a mid-sized power plant) to prevent rolling blackouts.
10. Battery Backup Offers Incentive Program
Generators are “dumb” appliances that can’t connect to the electrical grid. Whether you have a generator or not is irrelevant in the eyes of the electric utility.
But, smart devices with battery storage can instantly supply power when needed. The federal, state, and utility levels all offer various incentives for installing home battery backup systems because doing so benefits both homeowners and utilities.
Via National Grid’s ConnectedSolutions battery initiative, residents in Massachusetts and Rhode Island can receive $275 per kW of energy they return to the grid during the busiest summer hours.
In addition, Vermont’s Green Mountain Power gives up to $950 per kW of installed battery storage, which comes to $9,500 for a 10 kW battery.
California’s Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) offers refunds up to $1,000 per kWh of installed battery storage, which frequently defrays the full cost of the home battery backup.
Battery storage is now eligible for a 30% federal tax credit at the federal level through 2032, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. By 2023, the battery storage will no longer need to be linked to solar in order to be eligible.
The Conclusion: Batteries at home outperform generators
Home battery backup has many benefits over generators, and there are a variety of incentives available to reduce the initial cost.
As backup power sources, batteries will be increasingly preferred by homeowners over generators. And that’s something we can all rejoice about for the sake of preventing climate change and promoting public health.
The Tesla Powerwall, Generac, LG Chem, and Sonnen batteries are currently the most popular options available.