As consumers are rightfully becoming increasingly informed and concerned with their environmental impact, many companies are finding it necessary to offer environmentally-friendly products. The ultimate goal, to trade out fossil fuels for alternative energy sources, has been highly anticipated and arguably overdue. This is why companies like Tesla, with the creation of their Powerwall home battery, are investing a lot of time and money on turning that dream into a reality. However, these new products are still in the experimental stage, and many experts believe that they might not yet be ready for our modern day needs.
Until that dream does become a reality, the key to environmental consciousness in the face of daily fossil fuel utilization could simply be moderation. Therefore, fossil fuel machinery, like backup generators that are only active during a power outage, makes less of an environmental impact than most people believe. Still, the question most consumers are asking is, “how do home batteries compare to home backup generators?” While the environmental friendliness of the up-and-coming home battery promises a smaller carbon footprint for consumers, it does not necessarily guarantee better performance as compared to backup generators.
Below, our expert has highlighted the following four important factors that determine the success or failure of overall backup functionality, while considering a generator and home battery: function, reliability, affordability, and accessibility. This should help consumers become more knowledgeable about their options before making a purchase.
Functionality
You might be under the impression that home batteries and home backup generators do the same thing: provide power to a residence during the event of a power outage. While it is true that both a home battery and a backup generator can provide power, it’s more important to consider how well they provide it.
Home batteries are built for storing power from converted solar energy and supplying it to the electrical grid when power is needed. However, to do this the direct current (DC) produced by the battery has to be converted to alternating current (AC) in order to connect to the residential electrical distribution panel and power the home and its appliances.
Home backup generators, on the other hand, are built for the sole purpose of generating power in the event of a power outage, and most models already produce AC to power the home and appliances directly. Unlike home batteries, generators can continuously produce power without the need to charge, as batteries can only distribute power that they already have stored.
Reliability
Home batteries are designed to store power but are limited in their distribution of it. In addition, unlike generators, batteries can only provide power for a small number of appliances at a time. In fact, high-priority appliances like heating and air conditioning would drain a home battery after just a few hours since most can only produce an average of 2kw before needing to be recharged. Another important factor to keep in mind is that because batteries are reliant on sunlight to charge (an unpredictable power source), a home that uses batteries to stay online during a storm might not have the required sunlight to generate power.
Alternatively, residential backup generators are designed to create and effectively distribute power rather than storing and rationing it to only a handful of home appliances at a time. The most popular Generac models generate up to 22kw, enough to power all of a home’s utilities at once through sturdy connectivity to the home’s circuitry. Moreover, most generators run on diesel, propane, or natural gas, all of which are readily available resources that can be stocked ahead of time for storm season.
Affordability
Home batteries require more work and applications than traditional generators. As previously mentioned, home batteries must convert DC to AC to power a home. This requires an AC/DC inverter, which is not included in the purchase of a home battery and can cost more than $2,000. The cost of a home battery alone costs around $3,000 excluding installation—equivalent to the purchase price and installation of a 7kw generator.
In addition, with only an average of 2kw of power produced per hour, the installation of more than one home battery is needed for a stronger, more durable supply of power to a home. Eight home batteries would be needed to produce 16kw of continuous power, the standard for a $3,700 natural gas generator, and costs $45,000 for a nine-year lease. Considering that the lifespan of a home battery averages about ten years, even the spokesperson for Solar City, Jonathon Bass, says that home batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall simply “don’t make financial sense.” Overall, the cost of a generator and its installation is less expensive by far.
Accessibility
In terms of regional accessibility, both the home battery and the backup generator are designed to suit any landscape. Home batteries, of course, are installed indoors while backup generators can be manufactured with extra layers of armored protection for homes especially prone to heavy wind and tropical storms.
In terms of accessibility on the market, the home battery is a relatively new invention that has yet to gain momentum in sales. Currently, sellers for home batteries seem to be restricted to the companies that manufacture them, whereas backup generators like Generac have a sizeable distribution system and more than 5,300 licensed dealers.
Functionality, reliability, affordability, and accessibility are the most important factors that contribute to the success or failure of a product, and based on both professional and popular public opinion, Generac backup generators supersede home batteries like the Tesla Powerwall on all four accounts. In short, because backup generators are more functional, more reliable, more affordable, and more accessible than home batteries, I think you’ll understand why they’re are a smarter and longer-lasting investment when it comes to preparing for a power outage.
If you have any questions or are interested in having a residential standby generator installed, call Assurance Power Systems at (561) 867-4041 today!
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