Solar Generators

[mojave30cal]

Looking to invest in a solar generator for "just in case". I was
wondering if some of you have any recommendations or have
any experience with this kind of technology.

I like the concept of bringing them inside the house to power
appliances, and the other fact that they are quiet.

Several weeks ago I Googled " Best solar generators of 2024",
and the Ecoflow Delta 2 Max came out on top. Would anyone
have any experience with this model? Can't trust everything
you read on the internet, don't you know.

 

[Tom S.]

I have zero experience with them but wish to caution you about online "Best Of" reviews. I use DuckDuckGo as a search engine and it will typically call out which reviews are ads in disguise. I might be worth a trip to your local library to see what, if anything, Consumer's Reports has to say about them.

 

[DWalt]

They are sold at the big box stores like Home Depot and Lowe's also on Amazon. Most of those sites have buyer reviews.

Probably not a bad idea to have one for emergency use, but you are dependent on having sunshine to keep the battery charged up. You may not always have that. For meeting minimal emergency power needs, I think having a larger AC inverter that attaches to your car battery is also a good idea. I have a couple of those, 1000 W each, one for each vehicle. Haven't yet needed them, after nearly 15 years. One of them is enough to keep your refrigerator running. Note that a solar generator is fundamentally a storage battery and AC inverter that uses solar cells to keep the battery charged. You can make your own probably cheaper than buying one.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My son has the 4Patriots largest model (without the add-on). He uses it to power a regular window A/C inside a Tee-Pee style tent in the warmest of August at the family reunion camp out. He has two 100Watt solar panels.

I have a smallest (600wh) you can get at Harbor Freight. My best friend bought the exact same unit elsewhere for 15% more. He has a 30watt Solar Panel and I don't have any panels.

All Solar panels have a drawback; they require the sun! 100% intense direct angle sunlight to operate at peak efficiency. The 30Watt panel in spotted tree shade was producing about 10 Watts a hour. The redeeming factor is that they all come with a 110VAC "Shore Power" adapter and a 12VDC auto adapter for charging when you have no sun or solar panels.

My little 600wh unit won't run a full-size refrigerator for very long, but the larger units will do so for 3 or more days of pampered use.

IMHO the largest drawback is cost and an unknown lifespan!

I have been using 4KW and 5 KW gas generators (portable) for 48 years. The biggest drawback is noise and fuel availability.

Our long-term plan is to maintain the gas system and the solar system for mutual support.

Ivan

 

[Breakaway500]

I would not want those batteries in my house or garage. Today’s ICE electric generators work fine for my needs. Quiet,efficient and plentiful fuel available anywhere any time.

 

[glenwolde]

I would not want those batteries in my house or garage. Today’s ICE electric generators work fine for my needs. Quiet,efficient and plentiful fuel available anywhere any time.

Actually, that fuel is often not so plentiful anywhere in the aftermath of a big storm. The last big hurricane we had the power was out for several days, in the least. For weeks in some areas. A lot of stations were closed because of no power. Those that were open were rationing and mobbed. Yes, you could store 50 gallons of fuel but that's not really a safe option.

 

[DWalt]

For serious preppers, a natural gas genset is probably the most reliable option, assuming a home already has natural gas, and long-duration power outages are a distinct possibility. But it is also the most costly. I have not lived anywhere when there was a long duration electric power outage, a day being about the max I remember. And that was during the great Texas freeze of 2022.

 

[ameridaddy]

Actually, that fuel is often not so plentiful anywhere in the aftermath of a big storm. The last big hurricane we had the power was out for several days, in the least. For weeks in some areas. A lot of stations were closed because of no power. Those that were open were rationing and mobbed. Yes, you could store 50 gallons of fuel but that's not really a safe option.

Part of good preps is not to wait for a storm to get gas. I have to drive about 25 miles out into the country to get non-ethanol gas, which I do every August right before hurricane season to buy 40 gallons at a time in 5 gal containers and add some Stabil. In the previous weeks, I have put the last season's gas into my cars, so I'll have that 40 gallons fresh plus what I can siphon from my cars if need be, and run my nice quiet fuel efficient Honda inverter running the whole house for more than a week. I have gone as long as 22 days without power with stingy load management. It has also saved me when we've had ice storms which always seem to cause outages around here.
I always run the inverter outdoors, about 10' from my house, and the gas is stored in my shed well away from the house, so I don't worry about a fire hazard.
It can be done, but I agree with you, messing with gasoline, exhaust fumes and electricity is not something to be undertaken lightly.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I think it was Hurricane Ike around 2009 that came to Central Ohio. I lived just past Suburban and worked inner city (ghetto). My house was without power 7 days and the worst parts of Columbus ran 2 weeks.

I used a 5kw gas gen. It ran about 4 hours on .9 gallons of gas. I ran the freezer and fridge, a small TV and Torch light, and ran the well twice a night to fill the pressure tank. Cooking was done on the propane grill and the Coleman Stove (set on top of the Ele. Range).

Worst outage I ever had was 11 days in late December and early January 2003/2004. My neighborhood was down 1.5 days, the lineman couldn't find my house and I went 11 days! The first 3 days were sub-zero and we stayed at a hotel. The rest I used the 5 KW after work (nighttime lows were about 25 degrees F) We heated with a wood stove. The Solar Generators weren't common or available back then but would have worked If (very big if) I could have charged them with my gas gen every few days! It would have been nice to have the woodstove blower running during the day.

During the summer outages, the sound of generators running was from almost 75% of all the houses! When everybody has one, theft isn't a big issue. When you are the only one, they vanish as soon as you turn your back. I used a logging chain and kept mine secured at all times! If you have the only lights on in the neighborhood, you can expect all kinds of visitors. Some are there just for RECON.

Ivan

 

[Greyman50]

Have 3 gas powered generators. 30 year old 5000 watt/ 30 Amp brushless that has 100 hours. 2100 WattHonda that is so quiet it can ot be heard 20’ away. Last year bought a “ Horrible Freight” 4000 Watt with electric start that is also Very quiet. Living on the SE Atlantic coast hurricanes are a Real issue. Guess I’m ready..

 

[glenwolde]

Part of good preps is not to wait for a storm to get gas. I have to drive about 25 miles out into the country to get non-ethanol gas, which I do every August right before hurricane season to buy 40 gallons at a time in 5 gal containers and add some Stabil. In the previous weeks, I have put the last season's gas into my cars, so I'll have that 40 gallons fresh plus what I can siphon from my cars if need be, and run my nice quiet fuel efficient Honda inverter running the whole house for more than a week. I have gone as long as 22 days without power with stingy load management. It has also saved me when we've had ice storms which always seem to cause outages around here.
I always run the inverter outdoors, about 10' from my house, and the gas is stored in my shed well away from the house, so I don't worry about a fire hazard.
It can be done, but I agree with you, messing with gasoline, exhaust fumes and electricity is not something to be undertaken lightly.

In the city, with the population density, storing that much fuel is dangerous. If there was a fire in my garage it would burn down my entire townhouse building (at least) and destroy five homes. Not to mention it's a fire code violation. Can't do it. We're not even supposed to have propane over 5# according to the fire code. I don't have anywhere I could put a nat gas generator even if I wanted one and could get the HOA to approve. The solar/battery pack is a really good option. Usually the hurricane blows out and it's sunny! Hurricanes are the biggest threat, the winter storms less so.

 

[glenwolde]

For serious preppers, a natural gas genset is probably the most reliable option, assuming a home already has natural gas, and long-duration power outages are a distinct possibility. But it is also the most costly. I have not lived anywhere when there was a long duration electric power outage, a day being about the max I remember. And that was during the great Texas freeze of 2022.

After Ike, we went without power for four days. We were very lucky. Most of the rest of our neighborhood went more than a week. We just happened to be on a different pole from everybody else.

 

[Muley Gil]

During the Derecho of 2012, our power was out for 7 days. My 5K Chinese Champion generator from Tractor Supply ran continuous for that week. Back then, I only had three circuits powered. A few years back, I had a transfer switch installed so that I can power almost everything, including the well.

I generally keep 30 gallons of stabilized gasoline in the garage.

 

[oldbrownhat]

Depends on the OP's anticipated needs (and budget!) If it's getting through a short outage where you can "rough it" for 24 hrs., maybe just keeping the fridge cold and some lights, and you have lots of sunshine, a solar-charged medium-capacity battery might get you through. But as several have already commented, serious outages need serious backup.

We haven't had a serious outage here (near-coastal British Columbia) for a couple of years, but we did have an 84-hr outage a few years ago due to an ice storm, and the system I put in when I built the house a few years previously kept me comfortable. I have a whole-house battery backup with 4, Trojan L16 lead-acid batteries, an Outback inverter-charger which will run basics (lights, fridge, gas boiler and pellet stove, etc. for about 5 hours. But I also have a c.1960 3-cylinder 5kW Onan diesel genset and a 100L (~25 gallon) diesel tank which I can fire up to charge the batteries and simultaneously run the house for longer outages. I'll power it up also if I need to have a shower (as I'm on a well) and/or run the microwave etc. I reckon I can keep comfortable for about 8-9 days without buying more diesel.

I'm leery about big li-on battery packs as well. The smaller ones, like Jackery are probably fine for in-home use but aside from the high cost, I'd be concerned about fire, especially if you're in an urban setting. You can't run a lead-acid battery system down as far (below 50%) before recharging, and they're big and heavy (105 lbs. each for my L16's) but they are much less expensive and also can be easily recycled whn they need replacing, which is about every 5-7 years, depending on use.

If the OP has lots of sunshine and some space, a smaller lead-acid system and a good spread of solar panels might be enough to get him through a few overight outages as long as he doesn't need to use high-draw devices like microwaves etc.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

The main problem with anything solar powered at this point is that the technology is developing so fast that by the time its built, it is obsolete. For now, you will be able to get something much better in six months. So say my contacts in the solar industry.

 

[DWalt]

The main issue with a solar panel generator is that you would need a large panel area to keep up with more than minimal power demands of an average house, not just a few smaller panels supplied with a solar generator. They might keep the battery fully charged under no-discharge conditions, but you are really depending on the charged storage batteries, rather than the solar panels, to supply power on demand for any length of time.

You could also buy one of those EV pickup trucks that you can plug your house into. Short of that, if surviving extended power outages is the goal, the only logical answer is to have a gasoline or natural gas genset. Or cover your roof wth solar panels. I consider a 5 KW continuous output capability unit to be the absolute minimum for a home. That should be enough to operate all essential devices. 10 KW would be better.

 

[ameridaddy]

....If there was a fire in my garage it would burn down my entire townhouse building (at least) and destroy five homes. .....

I hear ya there. I don't even store gas powered tools, not even a chain saw or lawn mower in my garage. My suburban lot is a bout 1.5 acres and my shed stands ~80 ft from the nearest other structure.

Living in a townhouse or multiunit dwelling is a whole nother story, and I'd have to take a different approach to planning in that situation.

 

[pharmer]

None of those units will power my 4 ton A/C unit. I need my phone charged for comm, that's about it. We'll cook most of what we have on my propane unit, have enough non perishables for 2+ weeks. Went to "AA" flashlights/lanterns for light awhile back. I have spent 7 Summers outdoors here, it ain't comfortable but easily survivable. I spent a week in the Miami area after hurricane Andrew in 1992, when basic infrastructure is destroyed after a couple of weeks it's "Lord of the Flies." I imagine it will be worse now with the "cellphone addiction." Oh yeah, money doesn't go very far either. I traded cans of chicken breast for a couple of looted strollers for some youngsters that were left by their parents who skeedaddled. Joe

 

[SMSgt]

I can't believe you don't have solar salesman coming to your door 3-4 times a week to explain it all to you.

 

[chief38]

Solar generators are limited in their outputs depend on their size, the weather and season for good results. I never had one but I have a few friends that do - they now have portable Generac's to supplement the solar. They also need back up batteries to even out the performance, and even then, the battery storage is limited too.

Anyone with a moderate to large home would be much better served with a natural gas powered standby generator (if you do have natural gas) IMHO. Generac is the most popular and has proven to be an excellent product. Kohler makes them as well but their presence and dealer network is not as large.

While "solar" seems very green and sounds great, an electric hungry home in the summer is not really a good match for solar - yet. You would have to closely monitor what is on and what is off, be very selective as to how long the AC runs, would have to shut many things off to run others and if the weather is not sunny - your output would suffer. Just my opinion, but solar is still not ready for prime time yet - unless you are living in a very very small dwelling and have few modern appliance, no ac, no pool, etc.

There are certain instances that solar does make sense for low usage applications or as a supplement - but be aware that it may not fulfill your expectations.