Solar power allows you to be more independent in terms of energy consumption. However, you still have a fair amount of reliance on the city grid if you don’t have a backup power source. Without a backup, you still use the grid every night, as well as any time the sun is obstructed. Plus, when the grid goes down, your power will go out too, even if the sun is currently shining. Having backup power simply gives you more use out of your system. But what’s the best option? Here are the pros and cons of both solar batteries and generators so you can determine what’s best for you.
Power Generators
Generators use an alternate fuel to create electricity. This can be viewed as both a benefit and a drawback of using a generator as your backup power source. On the one hand, it provides you with options regarding how to power your home; you don’t have to solely rely on solar. But that also means you’ll have to purchase fuel for your generator, which means a recurring expense every time you use it. Gas and propane are the most common fuel options, and prices on those are rising.
So long as you have fuel for your generator, you have power from it. This means that, feasibly, you don’t have to be limited to whatever you’ve stored up. For example, if the power goes out in your neighborhood, you can hook up a gas-powered generator and make as many runs to the gas station as needed to keep that generator going until the power comes back on. Batteries, by contrast, can be drained and leave you without power again.
Because generators obviously aren’t running at all times, you will need to hook up and start your generator to get your power back online. This means at least a short downtime in your home’s electricity. That may not be a big deal to you in most cases, but it can sometimes impact electronics.
Finally, generators tend to be an emergency option only. You’re unlikely to turn your generator on every night to avoid using the grid, so they don’t really reduce your grid dependence; they just help in a blackout.
Solar Batteries
Solar batteries are by far the most popular backup option for solar setups. Because solar arrays typically produce more power than your home uses during the day, storing that excess energy lets you use as much of the power you produce as possible. And, because they use the energy you’ve already produced, you don’t have to purchase any additional fuel to get power to your home.
Batteries are also only the feasible option for daily (or rather, nightly) use. Because they can constantly be recharged, you can use battery power every time the sun goes down, reducing your reliance on the city grid. This saves you more money. And because most systems are designed to switch back and forth between the battery and active solar power, you don’t have to worry about downtime when the grid has a blackout; your system can switch to battery power instantly.
Ultimately, solar batteries are the superior backup power option. Now you just have to find the best solar battery for your system!
