DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

There's nothing that says you have to run your generator continuously in an emergency. My gas generator will run for 12 hours between fills, but I generally run it for around 4 hours in the morning to get the day started and if necessary, 4 hours in the evening to finish up. It does not run when I'm asleep.

4 hours is sufficient to get my refrigerator and freezers cold enough to last a day (as long as they started cold).

The longest we've been out is 3 days.

Canisdirus

Oh, he didn't run it 24 hours a day...he couldn't.
The gas guy simply was never able to keep up with the demand.
Even folks with generators had to conserve.

Why solar is the better option. It may take a few extra panels up north...but it is still the better option.
Solar tech is accelerating at a clipped pace...unlike combustion generators.
In a few years...solar will be even better...and it's pretty darn good now...at least for residential homes.

Bill MN Loc: Western MN

I have a small generator bought locally. Its large enough to run the refrigerators, freezer and a few lights. I pay for the gas myself.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Yep. Solar is the future. Battery technology is the key to making it happen. The panels are reasonable now, but the batteries have a way to go before a whole house and two electric vehicles can run on them. I'm confident it CAN happen. Whether it will or not depends on education and political will.

fuminous Loc: Luling, LA... for now...

I read about whole house generators- by flashlight- after hurricane Ida. It's now 21 days and still no power... I bought a generator and extension cords; five gallons of unleaded lasts just over 12 hours and I have 11 five gallon cans. Trouble is, some folks were driving 100 miles to find a working gas station WITH gas to sell. Solar panels have appeal but, given that giant trees fall and tree limbs blow about, solar panels can too- or be smashed in place. I suppose if your battery shed is crushed or solar panels leave for other regions, you may not be staying in your house anyway so... a moot point.

Hurricane Ida did major damage to eight of my twelve neighbor's houses and significant damage to four others... big trees are heavy and very wide. My roof is only four months old and my damage is light. Folk with generators- stand-by or portable- can at least remain on site in relative comfort. Yup, a 22kw, whole house, natural gas fired generator w/t***sfer switch is coming my way... but the wait list is long.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

At first glance, the deal you mentioned seems to be one sided as I would expect fuel cost would well exceed money returned by the electric utility. I installed a 22Kw standby generator with an automatic t***sfer switch for my home about 6 years ago. My TOTAL cost, start to finish, including labor, a real concrete pad and the equipment was around 8k plus. The standby generator installation was well worth it and it can run my whole house, heat, a/c, oven, laundry and hot tub included. Best of luck.

Canisdirus

Heh..if your solar panels are on your roof and a tree smashes them...you have a much bigger problem than power.
Pretty much in my neighborhood....70% have built in house gens...and maybe 10% have solar.

You will pay through the nose to keep that gas gen operating.
The thing with solar is...it's the investment that keeps on giving back...all the time.
All of my neighbors gen investments...just sit and wait...a lot of sitting and waiting.
Solar is taking down your power bill...every month.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If I had enough sun on my roof for solar (I live in a forest), that would definitely be my choice. Solar efficiency has come a LONG way and is clearly (at least to me) the path to the future (and independence from the grid in an emergency) - wish it was an option for me.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I run a backup generator when we lose power. It is not the most efficient way to generate electricity!

The power company's 'generous' offer of $550/$300 per year is totally laughable! A negative return on investment and no chance of payout.

Solar panels and batteries would be a better option but probably still a negative return on investment and no payout but more environmentally friendly (maybe).

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

Bite your tongue! What could be more important to have than a couple of new cameras and the glass to go with them?. Then when all the pipes burst, you can make sparkling clear pictures of the damage for the insurance company.

Canisdirus

I know in Florida...you can get enough solar to not ever need power from the local electric utility company...and they HAVE to buy any surplus you provide.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

It’s digital imaging vs. film imaging… one is an addictive drug, the other a long run win.

Effate Loc: El Dorado Hills, Ca.

I believe it depends on technological development and economic feasibility. By political will are you suggesting our government pass legislation that makes carbon based alternatives too expensive because I can tell you that isn’t working in California where we pay a dollar a gallon more for gasoline than the national average and double the costs of some states for electricity and still experience rolling blackouts.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

No punitive economic efforts work. What works are public-private agreements that ease the pain of technology t***sitions. Simultaneously, the new technology has to be proven both better than the old, and more affordable. That’s the incentive to change.

fetzler Loc: North West PA

I see things have "improved" themselves in Detroit in another way. My wife and I grew up in Detroit. I do not recall a single power outage between 1950 and 1970 at my father's house.

In Australia many folks have large Diesel generators as power is unreliable because of incompetent government.

The biggest problem with generators is the ability to store enough fuel and having a generator large enough to power the really important stuff. In my house the important stuff includes the well pump, refrigerator/freezer, A/C and furnace. I do have a gas stove. If you have electronics that are sensitive to brief power outages (clocks need to be reset etc.) the you need an UPS for each device so that in the short time between loss of power and generator turn on. For clocks, electrical designs that include a capacitor or battery to keep the clock functioning for at least a few minutes would be great but the manufacturers don't care about you. Natural gas generators may have problems too. In Texas, this past winter, natural gas service was lost in the winter storm. Solar and wind generators that could be used by an individual have too low a capacity to run the big stuff plus you need lots of batteries. Solar doesn't work at night.

The ARRL and an interesting publication on emergency power.

http://www.arrl.org/shop/Emergency-Power-for-Radio-Communications/

I remind folks that keeping a 100W or less radio and computer going under emergency power is a trivial task when compared to keeping your furnace or A/C going.