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Incubator Q&A House-level battery backup now, solar panels later -- what do I need to know?

You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries. From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and ...

posted 1y ago by Stephen Ostermiller‭  ·  edited 1y ago by Stephen Ostermiller‭

Answer
#4: Post edited by user avatar Stephen Ostermiller‭ · 2023-07-10T16:54:16Z (over 1 year ago)
Add info about UPS for electronics
  • You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.
  • From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.
  • Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years.
  • Generators can handle much longer power outages than batteries. It is easy to have enough fuel on-hand to last days with a generator. Batteries will usually last only hours and may last much less than that if they aren't fully charged when the power goes out.
  • The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.
  • When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it. Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.
  • When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering,[]() your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange. During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day. Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.
  • ![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)
  • During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.
  • You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.
  • From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.
  • Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years.
  • Generators can handle much longer power outages than batteries. It is easy to have enough fuel on-hand to last days with a generator. Batteries will usually last only hours and may last much less than that if they aren't fully charged when the power goes out.
  • The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.
  • When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it. Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.
  • When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering,[]() your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange. During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day. Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.
  • ![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)
  • During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.
  • A standby generator will automatically start when the power goes out, so you may have about 15 seconds without electricity. You can solve that problem by using small batteries in uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) for things like computers, routers, telephony, and networking equipment that you don't want to have reboot when the power goes out.
#3: Post edited by user avatar Stephen Ostermiller‭ · 2023-07-10T16:47:05Z (over 1 year ago)
grammar
  • You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.
  • From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.
  • Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years.
  • Generators can handle much longer power outages that batteries. It is easy to have enough fuel on-hand to last days with a generator. Batteries will usually last only hours and may last much less than that if they aren't fully charged when the power goes out.
  • The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.
  • When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it. Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.
  • When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange. During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day. Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.
  • ![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)
  • During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.
  • You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.
  • From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.
  • Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years.
  • Generators can handle much longer power outages than batteries. It is easy to have enough fuel on-hand to last days with a generator. Batteries will usually last only hours and may last much less than that if they aren't fully charged when the power goes out.
  • The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.
  • When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it. Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.
  • When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering,[]() your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange. During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day. Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.
  • ![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)
  • During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.
#2: Post edited by user avatar Stephen Ostermiller‭ · 2023-07-07T19:59:47Z (over 1 year ago)
  • You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.
  • From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.
  • Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years.
  • The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.
  • When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it. Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.
  • When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange. During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day. Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.
  • ![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)
  • During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.
  • You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.
  • From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD). A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.
  • Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years.
  • Generators can handle much longer power outages that batteries. It is easy to have enough fuel on-hand to last days with a generator. Batteries will usually last only hours and may last much less than that if they aren't fully charged when the power goes out.
  • The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.
  • When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it. Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.
  • When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange. During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day. Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.
  • ![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)
  • During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.
#1: Initial revision by user avatar Stephen Ostermiller‭ · 2023-07-07T19:44:22Z (over 1 year ago)
You should consider a whole house standby generator rather than whole house batteries.

From a cost perspective you can get a 20KW generator installed for around $10,000 (USD).  A 20KW battery and inverters are likely to cost three to four times as much.

Lifespan for a generator is also much better than for batteries. A standby generator that is used only during occasional outages may last 20 years. Whole house batteries need to be replaced every 5 to 7 years. 

The environmental impact of battery production is so great, that buying batteries is worse for the environment than running a standby generator occasionally.

When you get solar, the power grid acts as your energy storage. With net-metering, you send excess energy your panels produce to the grid and you later withdraw it when you need it.  Batteries are not typically part of a solar installation unless it is off-grid or net-metering is not available.

When you eventually have a generator, solar panels, and net-metering your normal usage and production will end up looking something like this where solar is the light orange and usage is the dark orange.  During the day the panel produce lots of electricity and ship the extra off to your neighbors. At night you withdraw the extra power that you created during the day.  Your solar installer will help you size your solar system so that your overall usage for the year matches what your panels produce.

![solar production and electricity usage graph](https://proposals.codidact.com/uploads/5r0haf4adjdodgrr3nfmpcbwtleg)

During a power outage your standby generator provides all the power to your home and your solar panels are not active.