Solar vs Generators...Which One Is The Best?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video, we'll detail the pros and cons of solar vs gas generators to help you determine the right fit for you.
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Additional videos to watch after this one: Solar Generator Comparison 2024 (th-cam.com/video/d4XJM1nIjZ8/w-d-xo.html) & Determining power needs after SHTF (th-cam.com/video/JlpBzHbWsb8/w-d-xo.html)
Save up to $2899 during EcoFlow Prime Day promo! Get exceptional Amazon ‘Deal Of The Day’ offers from July 16-17. Check out the links in the description below, and use my code 24EFPDCITY to get an extra 7% off EcoFlow Prime Day deals (Except flash sale products and DELTA PRO 3). Valid until July 23!
EcoFlow Website: bit.ly/3XMBOG6
EcoFlow Amazon: bit.ly/3RQPCeC
Best advice- have BOTH! Run the genny during the day and go silent with solar at night. Also use ethanol free fuel!
Perfect advice! I would only add to use a good fuel stabilizer like (marine-grade, Stabil) even with the E-free gas, due to the potential long lengths of time between use.
Plus you can recharge the power banks with the generator to store that beautiful energy for later so win win.
Agreed
Another alternative at night, for those without a power bank is to run a tiny suitcase type inverter generator for essential devices only after dark. Some of the 1000 to 2000W models are amazingly quiet.
Ethanol-free will be less maintenance over time. Pay up front, or pay later. It is a choice that each individual makes. When your solar array gets large enough and your battery bank can store enough, life gets easier. You can pay the local electrical supplier or you can invest in your own system. If you go your own way, the local electric company will not supply you in a crisis. I, frankly, don't want them to supply me. The one serving my area is unreliable. No notice power outages. Water containing so much sediment that it destroys hot water heaters at a faster rate than normal (I am going tankless when I build a mounting board (cement board). I am responsible for me. I expect to self-rescue. FEMA camps are for failures.
Started with solar. A storm knocked out our power for 4 days, and the skies were overcast for the majority of that time. I quickly learned just how insufficient solar can be. I ended up buying a gas/propane on the start of the third day to not lose all of the food in our fridge and two freezers.
Now I got both, and I'd recommend it.
Solar when you can, gas when you really need it.
I have both. I will use the gas to charge the solar if there is not enough sun that day. 👍
That really the best option for these systems. I keep a small 2200 Predator to charge up my batteries if I don’t get sun for 3 days.
I run my propane generator twice a day for 1 hour. Each times run to recharge my 5 solar generators. Works great
I am in Northern California and this week we are under an excessive heat warning alert. Today will be triple digits, and the electric company is turning off power to some areas (not mine) as a fire safety precaution. No matter what happens, I’m glad I have a solar generator to keep me cool and protect my food.
If you just swapped to Celsius already you would be still be in double digits
You need both.
When the battery depletes, you charge back up the batteries with the gas generator. The trade off is, two hours of battery charging with the gas generator equals 24 to 36 hours of battery life.
That 5 gallons of gasoline can extend to a couple of weeks of electricity for your house.
Cris, I have been saying this for years. Have backups for your backup's backup! Having both solar & gas generators, and using gas as a backup for when the sun isn't shining is a very smart thing to do. Also, you can charge your solar generator with a power cord plugged into the gas generator as well.
A friend of mine has their refrigerator plugged into the solar generator while the generator is plugged into the wall. I'm not sure I'd recommend that as a sudden surge in power could damage the generator....but to each his own.
I live in an area that gets hurricanes and sometimes just really bad thunderstorms. I purposely make my freezer "colder" so if I do lose power my food stays frozen for longer. I do not turn my generator on immediately..... I wait it out to see if the power returns. Usually it does, but if after say 5 hours it is still out, I run the freezer on the generator for a few hours, then cycle it off again. I do this cycle off & on thing until the power returns. Of course you gotta be on your toes to keep it up, but I gotta do it.
Btw, battery powered fans blowing over a block of ice are FANTASTIC!
Oh, and one more thing: ice cubes melt faster than solid blocks of ice. So....take an empty 2 liter soda bottle and fill it with water about 2 inches from top and leave the cap off, then freeze it. That solid chunk of ice will stay frozen for longer than a bunch of ice. cubes.
being 70 and on disable I cannot afford this but love watching
be safe be strong
People should go camping multiple times a year. Be prepared to live without electricity. If the grid goes down, it could be weeks, months, or even longer. Before the grid comes back up.
Both! HAVE BOTH! Nothing is better than options.
As for a solar generator, we need to think about a nuclear winter . However the solar panels will still charge on a cloudy day you won't get a full charge as you would on a normal day .
Get both ...solar for clean power and gas just in case cloud cover during a outage of power...that way you can power what you need and recharge your solar generator...💯👍
We had an electrician install a power transfer panel. Our generators can be plugged in outside the garage and power 6 basic circuits - especially the heating system, kitchen and office. We have 3 gas / propane backup generators and several hundred pounds of propane, cans of fuel ( rotate with fill ups every 3 months ). Now for solar.
I have the champion 7500 watt. It'll run my house and AC unit. PGE had a 8 hour planned outage but this guy still had cold beer !! Lol
BOTH
The best scenario would be to have a good sized solar array with multiple server rack batteries and a generator to charge up the batteries when there is not sufficient sunshine. With this system you could also go off grid forever. In a SHTF event expect the grid to go DOWN.
I agree! I purchased a 3000 w duel fuel. I also have portable battery generators. The only downside to the duel fuel gen is it weighs 110 lbs. It has wheels, but I won't be taking it in case of bug out, because I'm old and weak! 😊
We have the Genmax 9000 ied Dual fuel, and only use propane with it. It can be used to recharge the Solar Batteries, with the batteries being primarily charged from the grid till needed.
The farm house primarily uses propane for the appliances with wood as primary heat, so there’s plenty on hand.
Nice comparison. It is definitely an individual consideration based on environment or living situation. An apartment dweller is much more restricted than a rancher when weighing out what makes the most sense. The smart systems are nice but sometimes I wish I just went with a manual transfer switch for the ease of use.
Battery packs, and generators complement each other, add solar for a complete system. Why battery packs, because most important loads you run in a house are intermittent they cycle on, and off. Running a generator constantly to power them is wasteful of fuel, especially in a crisis where fuel may be hard to come by. Which brings me to fuel, buy only duel fuel generators, gas/propane, if you are in a grid down crisis, finding gas may be a real problem, as gas stations may be out of power also, and those that have power may be sucked dry by demand. Propane stores safer, does not degrade over time, and you can store a lot without issues, add a storage tank in the back yard, to have fuel when needed.
Thanks for this latest video...I worked in the power generation industry for 30+ years. I've been amazed at times, even in my own resistance to wanting to invest in secondary power options for when the power is out. It took our power being out for over 24 hours in the middle of summer several years ago before we finally decided we had to make some changes and invest in some alternatives... it's nice to have at least a little backup these days...thanks again for keeping us focused on positive solutions for what will probably be very needed knowledge and equipment in the future!
A couple of thoughts from a long time Floridian. Here we have a whole season dedicated to Hurricanes and the havoc they can bring. So power outages are common during August, September, and October. What I hav found is that the petroleum generators now have an option called inverter generators which are significantly quieter than the older gas generators. Not quite as powerful but worth the extra money. Also here in Florida during the summer months we can and do go through periods where it's two or three weeks of overcast rainy, so keeping the solar stations juiced can be a challenge. Although Victron and a few other companies now have a charger you can use with your car to charge your solar station.
Agreed, and if you have a solar generator and cloudy weather, you'll probably want an inverter generator for charging the batteries back up (not normal generator as that line power can be quite...noise/bad).
I agree that's what I do is use both. I practice every year when I go camping for a week
With solar power banks (NOT a generator), It all depends on being in a good solar climate location and being able to spend thousands on a decent system.
Living under 140' tall cedars here in western Washington State, solar is next to useless. To make up for that we have multiple generators, and backups with close to zero hours on them.
A lot depends on the cause and [expected] duration of the outage. The advantage of instant, much greater power from an ICE generator is entirely negated if its noise has been heard by feral humans or others looking for resources, even if they are simply remembering it days later. Of course, a large visible solar array might also be remembered. Many factors differentiating these systems are matters of convenience, but broken OPSEC could be a matter of life and death.
“Feral humans“. What a great description. Living in TX, their fate will likely be the same as with hogs.
Hi, if you have an electrical vehicle with bidirectional charging, which is a battery on wheels. You have battery back for days until the sun comes back out.
The beauty of a gasoline generator (if you don’t have a propane underground storage tank or natural gas) is the fact that your car has probably 18 gallons of gasoline in a very safe storage system- and you can pull it out. It can last for more than 2 weeks if you are savvy about generator usage.
Outstanding subject and remember the rules of 3 and 3 ways to do everything during survival
👍 One is none. Two is one. Three ...Perfect.
Yes my friend this rule has served me well
AC in the desert SW is Most Important 😅
Sitting here in Missouri City Tx with no power since Monday morning. Currently running a Champion 2500 Inverter/Generator on propane. Everything in the fridges and freezers still good, and also able to safely charge all electric devices, including all the batteries for my Milwaukee (my choice of battery system) fans, lights etc. My plan is to eventually add battery as well for night time use and convenience of using in the house/garage.
The right answer? Both. Generator for normal times (rule of law still present), and there's a short power outage, etc. Solar Generator when SHTF. I have both. If SHTF, you do not want to be running a generator past day two or three. You'll be advertising to the entire community you have power. I have a Champion as well inside my garage. I welded a custom exhaust pipe to it, and it runs outside so exhausts the fumes outside. I can keep my garage door closed to minimize exterior noise. My understanding for solar generators long term storage is to keep the batteries at 80%
Nice job Kris. I think you continue to get better and better at this. I agree with your assessment. I might add that for me the best backup option is a large, whole house, battery backed, solar power system. Expensive? YES, but the price has dropped to around $15k for a pretty good system. Thanks!
If I'm running a combustion heater or a generator in the garage (with the door open and exec with an extended exhaust outside) I use a CO alarm with it. Some of the newer generators even have it built in as a shutoff.
I agree with your conclusion and what you are personally doing. Unfortunately most people get conned by sales speak especially regarding the "Solar Generators", and what power they really need.
Love you mention both.
I prefer solar but live in Alaska. With 6 months of winter and lest sunlight, the ICE option is the better option.
What happened to "land of the midnight sun"?
Great video Kris. I clicked on your video link to ; *How To Power Essential Devices When The Grid Goes Down* , and right at about 21:00 there, you covered what I believe is essential in selecting a proper generator or solar charged power bank. Your spread sheet with W/hr usage calculations should be very useful since many have little background on electricity.
I’m in Orlando so my typical needs are after a storm. I went with a tri fuel 12500 as I have natural gas to the house. It runs the A/C and well water system, fridge. I have the important circuits marked and I turn everything else off. “Unlimited “ natural gas
I have 7,000 watt gas generator to run most of the house during the day. I’m on a well and septic so that keeps things going. I hooked up an emp shield on my service and only hook up the battery when needed. I live in the country so I have a 200 gallon gas tank with stabilizer. For after dark I have a 2,000 watt solar generator for the refrigerator and freezer. Keep the generator in a faraday box when not in use. For lighting we just use various oil lamps!
Thanks for this comparison. This is important to help people make their decisions.
Solar generators are great. If you can afford them. My briggs 4750 generator was 180$ compression tests in the 130psi range. I bought a year old deep cycle for 80$, a 2000 watt inverter for 60$ to power things without the generator. Use the generator for large appliances or/and charge the deep cycle with my 12v car charger
Well, with a biodigestor set up a generator would be more effective I think, at least if you have the materials and technical knowledge to maintain the generator. but it seems like a person would want to have a mix of things.
The beauty of A propane/natural gas generator is the unlimited supply of gas via underground pipes. No lines waiting no heavy portable BBQ tanks which last a few hours only
I have both. The only time I run the dual fuel generator is to charge up my solar system batteries, when it’s been raining or over cast. Plus I have 2 small Ryobi gas generators that I use too to charge the batteries with a charger.
P.S. if you’re going to decide to store some gas. I would number each Jerry cans ( don’t get plastic gas cans, they break ). Get a clipboard and mark down on it when you filled and treated the gas. I recommend Pri-G for gas treatment. I’ve had gas that I treated once a year last two years on Pri-G.
The City Prepping team is doing a great job providing information and expertise. It will be hard for my spouse to accept paying for a system that doesn’t that doesn’t power air conditioning. I now have a small and large generator. The risk of a gasoline generator failing when you need it is high as you explain maintenance is critical to keep them running. 😊The propane power source is in my opinion is the best way to go. I am really looking forward to your larger system video.
Thank you
Agreed. Thank you.
We employ a small gasoline generator (daytime) and a small solar generator (nighttime) ... for absolute basic power requirements ... our goal is to have enough fuel for up to 2 months ... then utilize vehicle fuel if needed ... this is for week-long hurricane power outages as well as potential long-term grid down situations ... please don't forget to store water, food and weapons ...
Honestly, you need both. If you have non-sunny weather and have some of the newer super-fast charging solar units, you can charge them for really a minimal amount of gasoline. It can come in quite handy when your panels aren’t getting enough sun. This will extend your gasoline supply, as well as limit your expanded noise footprint to just an hour or so.
Honda EU series. 💪 might be a little pricey on the front side but you will be thanking yourself when the damn thing works perfectly 10 years later!
Great video. But I think you need to mention longevity of the generator overall. Gas powered generators can last between 10,000-30,000 running hours at full capacity. Solar generators batteries will degrade and no longer return full capacity charges based upon battery usage and drain frequency/ speed
Just bought a new house, I have the 12kw Champion generator with Generlink system. Next year will be a solar panel system on the roof.
Australia 🇦🇺 Queensland - it’s winter, not much sunshine - I run my petrol generator 2 hours every day and use the solar generator for the rest of the time…
Im solar powered since 2012. I also own a champion Generator thats duel fuel. Propane, or gas. Runs 1/2 day on 1 gallon of gas. And mine is very quiet.
Would love to purchase the latest EcoFlow solar generators but my budget says otherwise. My best solution is a "better buy" on duplicate sets of a Delta 2 plus a Delta 2 Max extra battery. I use one set while making sure a reserve of 3Kwh supply is available for a string of cloudy days. Has worked great so far and the price is dropping on each.
I have a Yamaha 2200 generator.Super quiet and runs about 8 hours on 1.5 gallons of gas. I also have a 48 volt golf cart that I can use the batteries to run a pure sine inverter. Good info I’m still studying on the solar generator. Thanks
Without energy, providing security for your family becomes very difficult. Purchase all you can afford. Generators are great, but bring unwanted attention. Get your critical loads on a dedicated panel with Solar and Battery. Use generators to power larger loads and to recharge batteries. Also, if you are rural and own a tractor, consider a PTO generator. A small 35HP tractor can run a 15Kw PTO generator using a gallon of diesel an hour.
Thank you,
Get both.. if your fuel based system has a 12 volt output. Charge your bank while the fuel based system is running. So you have power on demand with the gas system and charge your system at the same time
Thanks
CP/Chris: Think Budget. That's where most people start.
ME: Nope I start with desired outcome/need/want then figure out how to budget/fund it. :) Delta 3 U is looking pretty nice and the marketing is flooding ALL my usual youtube channels..
Seen a article that solar generation only lasts three year. Fuel generation last 20 to 30 years.
Anyone give me real world info on this?
Thank you
What are you talking about? Solar panels will last over 20 years.....and new lifepo4 batteries in power stations will still have 80% capacity in 10 years with you draining it and charging it once a day!
@Texasprepper not taking about solar panels only Generators. Why I asked for real world info. Because I don't trust the internet info. Trying to be a smart buyer.
Great 👍 😎 EcoFlow delta pro 3 system
Good information on here
Thanks for the video, you can use the gas to charge the solar faster than the sun.
Man, you look ripped! I remember years ago (7 or 8 maybe, your channel was pretty new) when I told you that you should work harder on your basic physical strength. Looks like you did it!
Speaking for myself, I'm interested in powering my house when the power goes out. So I couldn't care less about portability. Obviously, this also means I'm not interested in a small battery and a few fold out panels. I honestly don't know who would be. Campers, maybe? I also don't care about noise, because during an outage, everyone is running a generator. Maybe in 25 years when everyone has solar and batteries? Sure.
To me, there are three main options:
* a portable generator connected to house, either via a transfer switch or an interlock kit
* a whole house generator
* solar panels on the roof of your house (at least 10kW worth) connected to at least 20kWh of battery. The average house uses about 30kWh, so with judicious use, you could get through an entire day.
I run option #1. It sucks. Eventually, you have to run and get gas. Good luck not getting the smell in your car. And you're constantly either filling it up or thinking about doing so. And with an interlock kit, you don't know when the power comes back.
A whole house generator. The most reliable solution. Sure, you have to get on a maintenance program so it works when you need it, but it's the scenario most likely to give you enough power to run your household for days on end, even for people like me that don't live near natural gas. I actually like propane tanks over gas lines, because there are many disaster scenarios where
Solar+battery is great, like you said, if you live in a sunny area and is what I would do if I did. But I also have geothermal and all of my appliances are electric. I also have a well pump. Translation: I'd need a lot of batteries (I wouldn't be comfortable with less than 50kWh worth) to run my house and I'd almost certainly have to bring things down to the bare minimum in order to last for more than two days or so, whereas with a whole house generator, I could go weeks before having to call for a fill up.
To me, a perfect solution would be solar + 1 10kWH battery, bi-directional charging via my Tesla (we have two EVs in the household) and a portable generator that could charge the batteries if we lose power for a long period of time. My Tesla has an 81kWh battery. Being really conservative, you could run your house for a week! It's nuts not to be able to tap into that power.
Battery+solar+genset is the perfect system
If you want it for backup and emergencies then a decently large battery and a generator is cheap (comparitively), and easy. Solar is massively expensive for similar power outputs and unwieldy to use and for any decent output is effectively immobile.
In the video you compared 2 or 4 hundred watt panels to a 3500 watt generator. Try lugging 3500 watts of panels to your bug out spot and let me know how it goes.
with any disruption in our lives it should be mentioned that the desire and in some cases the assumption of convenience needs to be put aside and replaced with understanding one needs to be involved with and actively making choices that will be beneficial to survival. i.e. dont be sitting in you chair watching tv to see what is going on. I agree completely with having both systems and understanding the best way to use them. couple of things i think should be included with you info. Dont store or use ethanol in generators, yes you can but you will have problems due to this fuel. when getting ICE generator go with the pure sine wave inverter model, they cost more and for a reason. all electronics will be damaged by the modified sine wave some will show damage right away others will show up later. Note that all the solar generators are pure sine wave and a lot of them wont accept modified sine wave gas generators current when you try to charge them with it. and i will end this essay with saying get your preps out and try them to see how they work...... when the lights go out is not the time to be problem solving why your store bought things dont do what you need them to.
" all electronics will be damaged by the modified sine wave " NOT True.
A very few MIGHT not tolerate modified sine wave voltage. Working with AC and DC voltage, inverters, generators, and battery banks has been my thing for 25 years. You are quoting 'internet wisdom', which is often incorrect or incomplete. Quite often this 'wisdom' comes from guess who? That's right...from inverter and inverter generator salespeople.
On the topic of pure sine wave for power centers opinions vary between mfr and what forum you're reading. In many cases, owner input says their power bank does okay on modified sine wave regardless of what the mfr has told them. Not all units are the same.
@@Robnord1 i stand corrected, i was going off my experience with bluetii and jackery power stations both of which will not accept a charge from my modified sine generator but will from my honda inverter generator. i personally had to have a refrigerator circuit board replaced and a large tv quit working shortly after i had been using my previous non pure sine wave gen. the service techs opinion was the gen was the cause. i will go with using pure sine wave from now on. seems to me it is even more important that people check their equipment and see that what they have will work when they need it most.
You really give a person a lot to think about
The prices for batteries are so high. To get a long run time you need to spend 5-10k. Spent 750$ on a 5kw last year and never looked back
I have both
Love your work. I am new at this. God forbid, if a emp hits, will it take out your solar generator and panels? What if you have a transfer switch and a emp strikes, will it take out your electric panels and transfer switch In the house? Thank you again for your time and work. Have a great day.
Keep it going
sinvce I live in a north facing apartment above the ground floor I can't have a fuel generator so OI have to have solar power stations. since I dont get muych sun on my deck I would have to go down to the parking lot or park across th4e street to juice up my power station andI'd have to sit there with it to prevent it from getting stolen
Good quality video as always my fellow brother in Christ ❤
On a gas generator extend the exhaust out the drop it down a few inches get a bucket fill it with water and it will sound like a motorboat.
It would be beneficial to have both options available. During the day, the generators can be utilized to power essential appliances and charge batteries. However, it is important to shut down the units and bring them inside before nightfall.
I have a 1.6kW gas generator, a 3kW dual-fuel generator, 60 pounds of propane, and 15 gallons of gas. Additionally, I own a Delta 2 (the smaller 1024 Wh version). Previously, I assembled my own solar generator with a 1kW pure sine wave inverter, a 100 Ah battery, and just today, I completed the second one with a 2kW pure sine wave inverter and a 400 Ah battery bank.
My goal is to ensure that during the winter, I can operate the gas furnace, refrigerator, lights, and a few other small appliances. During the summer, I aim to power the refrigerator, freezer, sump pump, a window AC unit, fans, lights, and other items. Currently, I have limited solar panels and would like to incorporate battery charging into my system.
Hi. Can an inexpensive small gas generator that outputs approx 1000w modified sine be used for charging purposes only on an Ecoflow Delta 2 or equivalent? Or will that cause issues since it's not a pure sine output? Was wondering because if so I could potentially charge the Delta 2 completely on less than a gallon of fuel in just over an hour.
Would have like to hear you compare the Generac or equivalent whole house systems and when a home has a well pump the added KWs needed to handle the surge.
I live in New England. Snow becomes a problem for solar panels on the roof. Most outages I have experienced are between a few hours and a couple days.
I am learning towards the Generac unit. Loose power and it turns on.
Thank you. Very helpful advice. My question is can those units be left in a home in the Caribbean that is not Air Conditioned and one that gets extremely hot inside the home. I have left a remote for tv with batteries in it and they melted.
So I need to know if the high tech battery will be able to stay in heat.
Thank you.
I would do a generator for short term emergencies(1 week or 2) but I would do solar for long term (1 month or longer) especially for city living. solar is more discreet, generators attract too much attention and people can be cruel
Having both would be good. I do have only Solar (1800 & 200w panel). Let me know if that is a decent one. I have it in the custom made faraday trash can from video I watched from you.
So many of this style video out there. For a shorter video it is definitely one of the better videos. Nice work as always. I offten feel some of the Info given in these generator videos is false.
Could you do a real world style video of running something like a 7qf freezer for 10 days on nothing but 1 small solar generator?
Maybe keep it very real. Build and use 2 or 3 small solar generators with affordable battery banks. And then power freezer with 1. Lights and a few hrs of basic entertainment with another?
No premium products. No stupid expensive batteries.
OH God Kris.. I am a small engine tech stay away from the Chinese generators. I have seen governors fail, over revving and power surging and causing electrical damage and fires within a home or have failed mechanically. I implore everyone to invest in Honda and Yamaha Gens. they are quiet and reliable..
Great video!! I am in the process of deciding on a solar generator since there are so many sales over the holiday. I wanted to know is it better to buy a solar unit like Ecoflow then buy the solar panels separately from other brands. Seem to be more price effective? Anyway if you or anyone can briefly give the pros and cons of going with or without the manufacturer’s solar panels that would be awesome. This will be my first unit that I am getting to back up the essentials for the house.
I have 2 honda 2200's the companion and the other converted to propane. During the freeze we had in Texas they both came in handy since we had no sun for several days. I used my EcoFlows for critical use and the Hondas to power the ecoflow. When there was sun everything was charged with solar. When the sun was down I would use the Honda's to charge the ecoflow. Better to charge the Ecoflows with the Hondas as you only run them for a couple of hours and the Solar gens would run through the night . I've also have daisy chained my EcoFlows to extend running time. I don't believe in extension batteries because if the main unit breaks you have a 40 pound battery you can not use. Maybe you can do a video to show your views how to daisy chain solar generators.. When I bought my EG4 off grid inverter and my EG4 battery I realized I did not have enough solar panels to start the inverter to charge. I just used my Delta Max 2000 to increase the battery run time on my EG4 battery. Did not want to use my Honda in the middle of the night to charge the EG4.
Pairing a smaller, fuel efficient generator with a battery system is quite efficient. I can charge my 4000wh system on less than a gallon of gas and then run my refrigeration and light load items for 24 hours.
I use a combination of gas, propane, solar, and whale oil.
Whale oil is getting hard to find , Walmart doesn’t carry it any more😢
Propane generators still need oil changes when sitting for long periods of time, but it is definitely good to have on hand as a power source, especially since they are designed to run on flammable gas which can be produced from wood if necessary. Solar is hands down the best everyday source you can use. I do not recommend using so-called "solar generators." Rather, buy the components yourself and put the system together. This will save you money and allow you to buy better quality pieces for a quality system. Think about using 12 volt or 24 volt led RV lighting systems throughout your house, or use rechargable lights that can quick connect to your house battery pack. Generators typically last a decade or so, solar panels will continue to put electricity out for 60+ years. LiFePO4 batteries last about 20 years when used every day. In 20 years we will have better batteries lol. When something goes wrong, you have the generator, hopefully for long enough to fix the problem. If you change your sleep pattern to the sunrise and sunset, you can really get by with minimal power consumption.
A generator is for backup for a limited time. The first 48 hours to get your game plan, Solar and portable solar with propper battery, inverter, BMS, overcurrent protection, etc. is for longer term set up or longer term portable operation. This statement assumes fuel is very hard to get.
Quick question, I’m a bit confused with the wording on storage on EcoFlow units, for long term can you keep them charged at 30 or 60%?
great video. can you do one with more info on the transfer switch, the cost of unit, cost of installation . Is this just for the large pro units or can it be connected to smaller Delta models. Please advise . Thanks. (cdn).
,
I'm very curious to know your thoughts on the Honda EU3200i inverter generator.
Having a light on will "give you away" as having a resource.....
Can a non-inverter gas generator be used to charge a power station? The sine wave may not be great from the gas generator so will the power station accept that quality of charging?
Good video, thanks for sharing YAH bless !
Greetings from Louisiana
Large solar setup, freeze dried food, and rainwater harvesting are great for longer disasters. Everyone should have one of these and if we do, we wouldn’t need to rely on the government as much.