Off grid homes generator#
Having the right propane- or gas-powered generator will help them go about business as usual.Off Grid Homes: Living Off The Grid in AustraliaĪ few years ago, living off the grid was reserved for only the most adventurous and bravest of souls. Whether your customers are living off-grid by choice or by chance, backup power is more important than ever, given the number of people who like to generate their own alternative power and the spike in extreme weather events in the last decade. Because regulations vary by jurisdiction and application, one unit doesn’t fit all, she says. “We have noise regulations at the property line that are very stringent,” Ramsay says. Two other important considerations are local air-quality and noise-control regulations. “Off-grid generators should be able to provide hundreds of hours of backup power before being serviced due to their important role and potential amount of use.” The Generac EcoGen unit, for example, offers 500-hour maintenance intervals, which also leads to lower operating costs. What should builders look for when specifying a generator for an off-grid installation? “Maintenance and total cost of ownership are two big factors to consider,” Van Wormer says. “We have kind of seen it all,” Ramsay says. Some of Leete’s customers have paid anywhere from $10,000 to $200,000 to get electrical hookup.
“But then they get a quote to run power to the house, and the price goes up, and soon they are living off the prime generator” indefinitely, she says. “They decide to go on a prime generator for a while,” Ramsay says. “The house survived, or the owners are living in the guest house or barn and using prime power generators until the electrical services are back,” says Liesl Ramsay, CEO of Leete Generators in Santa Rosa.ĭemand for off-grid generators also comes from the company’s Bay Area customers who are moving into a newly built home and don’t yet have utility service - which can be costly. After the Tubbs wildfire in Santa Rosa, California, melted the area’s electrical lines, many homes had to rely on propane- or diesel-fueled prime generators, which are used as a primary power source and not just for standby or backup power. Propane is being used to fuel off-grid generators in more dire circumstances, too. “With Generac’s optional liquid propane tank, users can also track their propane tank levels via Wi-Fi,” Van Wormer says. Generac recently added Wi-Fi connectivity via a Mobile Link app that allows homeowners to view real-time generator status, maintenance information, and the dealer contact. This cycle continues until the renewable energy sources start storing power again, says Jake Van Wormer, product manager at Generac. Once the batteries are charged, the inverter signals the generator to turn off. When the batteries fall below an acceptable level, the EcoGen will turn on, providing power to the home while also charging the batteries.
Here’s how it works: When there is a power outage - or the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing - the batteries in a PV or wind turbine system can drain. Generac’s EcoGen unit, for example, can be hooked into a PV or wind turbine system to charge the batteries while also temporarily providing power to the home. In recent years, companies such as Kohler and Generac Power Systems have introduced generators that make off-grid homes more resilient in the face of outages, which were widespread in some parts of the country during the recent hurricane season. What’s your renewable-energy-minded customer to do?Įnter propane-powered generators that work in off-grid applications. But what happens if their PV system can’t keep up with the home’s electric demand or if backup grid power goes down in a storm or blackout? Then the onsite system’s battery banks can be depleted, leaving the owners in no better position than their utility-tapping neighbors. Homeowners with solar collectors on their roof enjoy taking power into their own hands, knowing they’re not dependent on the electric utility to keep the lights on and the refrigerator cold. For customers who are off the utility grid by choice or necessity, generators designed for off-grid usage provide seamless operation and renewable backup.
0 kommentar(er)
