Backup power solutions

With the rising frequency and duration of power outages, more and more people are turning to backup power solutions. These solutions allow the home's electrical system, or essential parts of it, to continue to function during an outage.

There are many options for a backup system: 

The simplest can be a generator with an extension cord. Such systems are cumbersome to use! They require the homeowner to manually disconnect the fridge from the wall socket and to reconnect it to the extension cord. They generally provide very minimal electricity throughout the home.

A better generator based system allows a portable generator to be connected to the house wiring through an interlock device. This interlock device assures the safety of the connection in case the utility power comes back on. These solutions separate the essential circuits in the house into a separate sub-panel which could be run by the generator.

Other solutions involve a whole-house generator. These are permanently installed larger generators, that switch on automatically during an outage, and provide power to the entire house. Generators are not quiet, but can work well providing the homeowner is aware of their power limitations.

A battery backup solution in combination with a solar PV array, also known as an Energy Storage System (ESS), allows seamless  transition of power when the grid goes down. As opposed to a noisy generator, these systems are silent! Depending on the size of the battery, the battery backup system can drive the entire house or just a limited portion of the house containing all the essential circuits (e.g. fridge, internet, phone chargers, entertainment, LED lights, a few additional receptacles).

An ESS with a generator backup allows the advantages of a quiet battery backup solution, with the added security that should the battery run low then a generator would be automatically started to recharge the battery.

The exceptions are the whole-house generator which we defer to generator specialists, and the most basic solution of the generator with an extension cord, a solution that does not require an electrician.

All our installation are code compliant and are regularly inspected and approved with flying colors!