At some point, your home may experience a power outage. Extreme weather, natural disasters, or aging electrical grid issues can leave your family without electricity unexpectedly. A home backup power solution can be crucial in such situations. Both home battery backup systems and backup generators can help meet your household's essential electricity needs during a power outage. Choosing the right home backup solution can provide peace of mind and help you prepare for unexpected events at any time of the year.

Solar Battery Backup: How It Works

A battery storage system is an appealing choice for power backup. These systems store energy for use when needed. Solar panels generate a lot of electricity—often more than you can use at once. Solar batteries store the excess power your solar panels generate. You can use the stored energy at any time, including during a power outage. Backup batteries don’t entail any health risks or emit pollution — issues that a traditional fossil fuel-powered standby generator creates for your home. Lithium-ion or LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries run clean and store easily, saving you the headaches of a fossil fuel generator.

Without battery storage, your solar panels will not work during a power outage. Residential solar panels are connected to the electric grid and when the grid goes down, they go down with it. But solar panels plus battery storage systems can temporarily disconnect from the grid during a power outage and continue to power your home.

Benefits of Solar Batteries

Reliable – Your battery will kick in automatically during an outage and power your home without interruption.

Renewable – Solar batteries run on clean solar energy instead of burning fossil fuel.

Cost Effective – Solar batteries have lower operating costs than generators as sunlight is free, unlike gas which must be continuously purchased.

Controllable – You can easily control how energy from your solar battery is distributed to maximize your backup power.

Quiet – Unlike gas generators, which can be quite loud and disruptive, solar batteries operate silently.

Low Maintenance – Solar batteries require minimal maintenance compared to gas generators, which require regular servicing.

Drawbacks of Solar Batteries

Installation costs – A backup battery system is typically more expensive than a fossil fuel generator in up-front costs..

Limited power capacity – Most solar backup batteries only provide partial home backup power. It’s possible to back up your whole home with battery storage but it typically requires multiple batteries.

Backup Generators: How They Work

Backup generators create their own electricity by burning fossil fuels like propane, natural gas, or even diesel. They are installed outside the home and can include sensors to detect an outage when it occurs for automatic operation. Unlike batteries that only power your home until the charge runs out, a generator keeps going as long as you have fuel to run it. Traditional generators typically consume fuel rapidly, leading to operating costs that can accumulate quickly.

Benefits of Generator

Reliable – Home generators provide reliable and automatic backup power as long as fuel is available. Generators produce electricity rather than just storing it.

Lower installation costs – Installing a standby generator is more affordable than installing solar panels and battery storage.

Whole or partial home backup – Generators can power all or some of your home depending on their size.

Drawbacks of Generator

Environmental impact – Backup generators burn fossil fuels, which produce greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.

Dependent on fuel availability – Generators need fuel to run. During widespread power outages or natural disasters, fuel may be in high demand and difficult to procure.

Expensive to operate – Traditional generators require to consume and store fuel. The ongoing cost of fuel for a gas generator can add up over time, especially when gas prices are high.

High maintenance – Generators have moving parts and engines that require regular maintenance to keep them running effectively.

Noisy – Generators are loud and can create a noise disturbance for you and your neighbors.

Backup battery systems don’t necessarily require fuel and or regular maintenance. They’re much better for the environment and don’t require to purchase fossil fuels. On the other hand, if you live in an area where frequent, extended power outages occur, a generator can provide enough electricity to keep your home running longer — as long as you have enough fuel or solar power.

If you are looking for a convenient, environmentally-friendly solution for your home backup power needs, a battery-powered system is a better choice in the long run. A battery system paired with solar panels delivers the benefits of a traditional generator without the noise, toxic emissions, or fossil fuel consumption. Both solar batteries and generators offer valuable benefits as backup power solutions. Your choice will depend on your priorities, budget, and energy needs.Bely Energy can help you assess your options and determine the best solution for your home. Feel free to contact us to learn more about our solar battery systems.