solar generator

[Gordon71]

Last week I lost power for about 5 days following a rain storm with high winds. I have a 2200 watt inverter generator that I used to power internet, TV, and my fridge. I have a wood stove so was able to stay warm with out my heat pump and a gas stove so I could at least use the burners for cooking. The generator works fine and is quiet but still requires gas to run it. I"m now wondering if a solar generator would work for me but have no experience with them at all and was hope someone here might. Here's one example:

kimmyenergy.com - kimmyenergy Resources and Information.

kimmyenergy.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, kimmyenergy.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.kimmyenergy.com

 

[scrambler]

Solar generators are fine, but you need to realize that for bad weather outages, you won't be able to use solar to recharge its battery, as the weather will most like be cloudy
So you need to review your energy needs in kWh for an average outage, to estimate how big of a battery you need
Then decide if the added benefits outweigh the price.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Last week I lost power for about 5 days following a rain storm with high winds. I have a 2200 watt inverter generator that I used to power internet, TV, and my fridge. I have a wood stove so was able to stay warm with out my heat pump and a gas stove so I could at least use the burners for cooking. The generator works fine and is quiet but still requires gas to run it. I"m now wondering if a solar generator would work for me but have no experience with them at all and was hope someone here might.

It doesn't say how long it will run your fridge (for example). 2220 watts is impressive for one of these things, but I suspect it's more suitable for limited use, like making a cup of coffee and using a hair dryer once a day while camping.

How much sun do you get? When the power goes out here because of the weather, it's usually not on a sunny day. And if your power is out for 5 days of bad weather, this thing might be good for 2 or 3 hours. Now, that said, this might b a good thing to use until you get your gas generator going. You can charge it on the grid, in addition to solar, so it will be ready to go when the power goes out. Or use it while you go resupply your gasoline.

I'd buy another gas can, fill it up with ethanol-free gas and add some stabilizer, instead of buying one of these for the purpose you describe. Maybe that's just me though.

TT

 

[scrambler]

Don't confuse Watts (power) with Wh (Watt Hour = energy).
Both are important, but they represent two different requirements.

If you want to run a 1800W toaster, you need a system that can deliver at least that much watt power.

But what will matter most is how long you would be able to sustain that usage which depends on the energy capacity in Wh of your battery
For example, running your 1800Watt toaster for two hours would require a battery of 3600Wh capacity (1800W x 2h = 3600Wh).

Usually, the solar generators have limited max power AND limited battery capacity, so they are not suited to run heavy loads as even if they have enough max power, they could not do that for very long.
BUT for lower power loads like a fridge (a couple of 100Watts of power), or Internet and a TV (also a couple hundred watts), they can last long enough.

For example, let us say you have a fridge that on average uses 200Watts of power, a router and modem 50Watts of power, a TV 100Watts of power
That is 350Watts of power, a battery with 3500Wh capacity could do that for 10 hours (10h x 350W = 3500Wh).
The 2200Wh battery in the device you mentioned could do it for 6.28 hours.

So what you need is review the power used by each of your critical appliances (you can use devices like "kill a watt"), then calculate how long the battery of the solar generator you are considering could run that for, by dividing the battery capacity in Wh by the power you need in Watts.

Below is another big brand with a lot of different capacity

Portable Power Station | Goal Zero Yeti Line

Goal Zero's award-winning line of portable power stations gives you power at the push of a button, a fumeless solar storage battery, and backup generator options. Get a portable power station that is quiet, fumeless, and portable, so you can use it for anything and everything, including home...

www.goalzero.com

 

[Roamers]

lost power for about 5 days

As others have indicated, it is important to do an accurate assessment of your elec needs. Having just designed the electrical system for my van (400 ahr lithium battery, 440 watt solar) and seeing my brother's experience with his van electrical system (200 ahr lithium, no solar), my gut says you will be firing up your gasoline generator a lot with the solar generator.

 

[m@Robertson]

I would consider doing all of the above.

Keep your gas generator. Invest in some decent solar as your backup to the backup plan. Thats essentially what I have done. I actually have two solar systems. A portable one with three folding 200w panels and a Bluetti AC200P. 2000w inverter, 2000wh LiFePO4 pack. That last part - the battery chemistry - is kind of a big deal. The Li-NMC cells we are used to talking about here on an ebike are good for the proverbial 500-800 charge cycles, subject to the usual BS about 80% charging extending this count, depth-of-discharge cautions, explosive risk and so on and so on. LiFePO4 on the other hand, is not a fire/explosion risk, is MUCH more tolerant of being left in a high state of charge for extended periods (i.e. charged and ready to go) and best of all, is good for about 3500 charge cycles if you do your part on the 80% charging (supposedly about 2000 cycles if you go to 100% - this according to Bluetti in their FB user group). Whats the catch? LiFePO4 is not as energy dense, so you need bigger batteries and that 'portable' sogen is about 65 lbs as a result.

I bought into this brand further and set up my DIY home system with it. An AC300 and three B300 packs for about 9kwh of power - I bought in on their introductory prices and saved a bundle. I bought used 200w solar panels (commercial building take-offs) for a fraction of the cost of new ones, and they perform very well.

The caveats about using solar to replenish in bad weather are entirely valid. I've personally had real good luck with mine both at the campsite and at home. One thing that can happen with my home locally is the storm can blow thru and trash the power grid. It takes the local utility a few days to fix things and thats after the storm... when the weather has cleared up and solar can top up... and since I have the equivalent of a full tesla power wall in batteries, I can go for some time without having to throw away the contents of my fridge and garage freezer. Now, I don't have to go to lengths to find a gas station that has power to its pumps, and then do a cage match with all the other generator owners to see who gets to get in line.

Last time I had a power outage, I didn't even lose my internet. Switched to my phone for a wifi hotspot, used the solar and refilled over the next two days. If I had all my panels set up I could do it in one.

 

[rich c]

We just went 10 days with little sun in Central IL. It would take one hell of a big battery pack to make solar work here in the winter. I'm real curious what the term solar generator mean? Generators are commonly considered a rotating device and solar panels are commonly called a converter.

 

[Roamers]

I'm real curious what the term solar generator mean

Basically a battery pack with various outlets and electronics built in. There is a connector for solar panels to be attached. If one has the ability, more cost effective to DIY a similar system.

 

[duggie]

Forget it. In winter you have no chance. For minimal stuff like led lights and tv for a bit you are OK in summer, but you have to have big batteries to buy, keep and maintain and replace. A lead acid battery may look and be big, but only the first 10%, maybe 20%, is usable.

 

[indianajo]

In Maine, for winter use, a wind generator may be of more use than a solar. If you can afford a tower & zoning will allow it.
We have many cloudy days in winter here in Indiana, so I limit my solar power to low use loads like maintaining the batteries in my tractor & crane through winter when I don't use them. It takes a 16 v solar panel to maintain a lead acid 12 v battery these days. 14 v charge from a 12 v panel ( most of them) just sulphates "no-maintenance" lead acid to uselessness. After I bought the 16 v 100 w solar panels I don't have to buy 2 new lead acid batteries every spring. I have a diode series them; I don't know how much the solar panels will leak backwards in the dark. The 16 v panels measure 18 v open circuit in the bright sunshine.
I've used 12 v car battery for 12 v florescent lights & radio during week long power outages. Also for pumping out basement with a boat bailer. in a huge flood with no mains electricity. Lots of 12 v appliances for campers, etc. If you're serious about 12 v power, deep cycle lead acid batteries are better for this use. Although i just pulled one out of the car when the mains power quit.
LiIon batteries are useless for winter use. They lose capacity when cold, and cannot be charged below freezing without damage. I thought I had the freezing in my house problem solved by an electricity free gas heater. No blowers, it has a battery igniter. **** pilot light went out in the cold last week and my living room was 43 deg when I got home from my brother's 12/27. Natural gas never went off; the burner on the kitchen range was still on.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Since Nov 15th, 2022, that is since the day I collected my solar watch, I could see the sunshine exactly for three times. Despite of charging the watch almost on daily basis (on the outer windowsill), I could only manage charging the watch battery to 50%. Which makes me wonder if the owners of solar panels in my country really made a good deal.

 

[Gordon71]

I guess it sounds like it won't be a good solution for my needs. At least my little inverter generator does a good job for what I need most when the power goes out and is relatively good at producing that power for as little gas as possible.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

While “solar generator” is basically just a bit of marketing magic, I’d still say they can be a good part of an overall plan. We have a generator large enough to run most of the house - just not everything at the sametime - and a transfer panel to make it an easy changeover if we need it. Generator is dual fuel, gas and propane.

We also have a Jackery 1000 and a couple of solar panels to go along with it, though. That thing can run the downstairs freezer to take the load off the generator, for example, or maybe run partial stuff at night to keep the noise down. Solar panels are 100 watts each, so if there’s any decent light or actual sunlight they can sit out on the back deck and pretty much keep up with the Jackery depending on what we’re doing with it. At some point I intend to buy another similar one, a little larger. These can also run through the transfer panel, though obviously not for everything or for very long, but still potentially very handy.

Of course, if you jump in the deep end with something like these new Bluetti systems and a bunch of solar, you can get a lot done, but I’d still want to have a generator around as well. There is a ton of YouTube content on this stuff… I find Hobotech to be pretty interesting and certainly entertaining.

Like having that second ebike for when the main one goes into the shop for whatever crisis has overcome it! I’ve had two ebikes at all times for a few years now, and it’s been a good thing.

 

[Mikehemis]

Solar generators can be a great solution for backup power, especially if you're looking for a renewable alternative to gas generators. These solar generators for sale harness energy from the sun, which means you won't have to worry about fuel shortages or refueling during emergencies. They're silent and eco-friendly, but you'll need to invest in enough solar panels and batteries to power your essential appliances.

 

[6zfshdb]

Whether it be solar, wind or fossil fuel, what it really comes down to, is having enough on site energy storage to get you through an outage.

Wind & solar are certainly options for short term power outages, but these systems can be expensive and require some form of battery. These batteries have limited capacity and don't last forever.

Gasoline generators are another option but consider fuel storage. How do you fill your 5 gal. cans when the local gas stations are out of power and aren't pumping. Gas also goes stale in cans and needs to be changed every few months.

Those of us who heat with propane or fuel oil, already have an on site energy supply. If so, you might consider a generator that uses one of these fuels. In my case, I heat with oil and use a diesel generator as a backup power supply. I have a 1000 gal fuel oil tank which would run the generator at full load for a month or more.

The system you choose depends on your location, your electrical needs, and whatever fuel is most convenient.

 

[m@Robertson]

We've had a lot of bad weather this last year, with a huge windstorm ripping down trees all over town. During the aftermath of our first big one I checked my power outage reporting with my electricity provider and basically the map said everything was down, everywhere. And it stayed down for four days. More than a week in some parts of town. All of my neighbors lost the contents of their fridges but I was fine.

The solar setup I described in my previous post was able to power my fridge and freezer all day (I disconnected overnight) and my solar panels topped the LFP battery right back up. I didn't need more power than I had and my panels were able to keep up with my use. So, effectively, I could have gone on like that for weeks. The system is powerful enough to power my clothes washer and dryer. I also had a single-burner hot plate, and a hot water pot and toaster. So while I ate a lot of cold-ish ham sandwiches, I could still heat food.

Something I didn't mention before: I bought 200w panels used, not new. When a commercial building is torn down, if its got solar panels on it they are probably perfectly good and there is a fairly well established secondhand market out there to sell them off. I bought from an Arizona used panel seller and got USA-made panels with very efficient conversion rates at more than 50% off.

 

[Readytoride]

Right now the only way to become independent using solar is to have a battery - like a Tesla power wall or a battery from a junked electric car repurposed for storing the solar energy for use when needed - tied into the house's main electric

At the moment we have solar panels (we're Net Zero with Dominion Energy here in VA), but we have a small Honda gasoline generator for all our smaller general needs (fridge, internet, TV, etc) during a long power outage. A wood stove heats the house in the winter and we have fans for the summer outages. We do rainwater capture for showers (heating water on a portable propane stove) plus toilets and kitchen use. The farms and properties around us tend to have "whole house" Generic propane or diesel generators, and man oh man are they NOISY when running.

However, since we now have a Rivian electric truck with power outlets, we can simply plug our extension cords into any of the truck's three 120 volt outlets instead of the two 120v outlets of the generator. The truck has a 135kWh battery, big enough to run all household appliances for a full week if not more without recharging. The truck has a 24 hour timer for its outlets which the owner can reset by tapping the reset on the main screen. No noise, no pollution, and the truck can stay in an enclosed garage, happily giving us silent power.

What is nice about the electric truck is that I can also drive to an area with power and recharge it if necessary. My goal, however, is to recharge it directly from my solar panels via a Level 2 plug tapped into the main solar inverter. My solar panels, on a clear sunny day, are capable of producing 8.9kWh, more than enough to feed a 7.5kWh Level 2 charging unit. Even lesser kWh will recharge the truck, albeit slower.

Game plan today (thanks to a nudge from this thread) is to contact the
company that put in my solar array to see if they can install a NEMA 14/50 outlet directly at the array that I can use for my Rivian's charging unit. It will be a heck of a lot cheaper to do things this way until we can install a two way unit for tying a whole house, and a solar array, into the truck battery for any grid outages. That's a project down the pike a bit as the availability of VTR (vehicle to residence) costs descend from the stratosphere. It's well into the range of $10k now, from what I've heard, according to Ford Lightening owners, whose electric trucks are apparently fully capable of tying into the grid as backup already.

m@robertson - I like your setup!

 

[bikewinterberry]

Last week I lost power for about 5 days following a rain storm with high winds. I have a 2200 watt inverter generator that I used to power internet, TV, and my fridge. I have a wood stove so was able to stay warm with out my heat pump and a gas stove so I could at least use the burners for cooking. The generator works fine and is quiet but still requires gas to run it. I"m now wondering if a solar generator would work for me but have no experience with them at all and was hope someone here might. Here's one example:

kimmyenergy.com - kimmyenergy Resources and Information.

kimmyenergy.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, kimmyenergy.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!

www.kimmyenergy.com

That sounds like quite the ordeal! A solar generator could be a game-changer for you, especially since it doesn’t rely on gas. It’ll keep things running during outages and is super quiet—plus, you get the bonus of free, renewable energy. They’re a solid investment for long-term power needs. If you’re curious, there are some great resources to help you figure out the best setup for your situation, https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/planning-home-solar-electric-system.The catch that I can think of is they can be pricey and may not give you the same juice as your gas generator, but there are government incentives that you can check out to help you with the upfront costs, https://statesolar.org/

 

[fexixav]

I would consider doing all of the above.

Keep your gas generator. Invest in some decent solar as your backup to the backup plan. Thats essentially what I have done. I actually have two solar systems. A portable one with three folding 200w panels and a Bluetti AC200P. 2000w inverter, 2000wh LiFePO4 pack. That last part - the battery chemistry - is kind of a big deal. The Li-NMC cells we are used to talking about here on an ebike are good for the proverbial 500-800 charge cycles, subject to the usual BS about 80% charging extending this count, depth-of-discharge cautions, explosive risk and so on and so on. LiFePO4 on the other hand, is not a fire/explosion risk, is MUCH more tolerant of being left in a high state of charge for extended periods (i.e. charged and ready to go) and best of all, is good for about 3500 charge cycles if you do your part on the 80% charging (supposedly about 2000 cycles if you go to 100% - this according to Bluetti in their FB user group). Whats the catch? LiFePO4 is not as energy dense, so you need bigger batteries and that 'portable' sogen is about 65 lbs as a result.

I bought into this brand further and set up my DIY home system with it. An AC300 and three B300 packs for about 9kwh of power - I bought in on their introductory prices and saved a bundle. I bought used 200w solar panels (commercial building take-offs) for a fraction of the cost of new ones, and they perform very well.

The caveats about using solar to replenish in bad weather are entirely valid. I've personally had real good luck with mine both at the campsite and at home. One thing that can happen with my home locally is the storm can blow thru and trash the power grid of solar powered generator. It takes the local utility a few days to fix things and thats after the storm... when the weather has cleared up and solar can top up... and since I have the equivalent of a full tesla power wall in batteries, I can go for some time without having to throw away the contents of my fridge and garage freezer. Now, I don't have to go to lengths to find a gas station that has power to its pumps, and then do a cage match with all the other generator owners to see who gets to get in line.

Last time I had a power outage, I didn't even lose my internet. Switched to my phone for a wifi hotspot, used the solar and refilled over the next two days. If I had all my panels set up I could do it in one.

I'm planning my next long van trip, and this time I have an e-bike. I am considering getting one of those "Solar generators" (basically just a big battery with an inverter) to charge the bike battery, and charge/operate a few other devices. Of course the "generators" need to be charged, which would require either finding AC from time to time or actually putting a solar panel on the roof, which is probably what I would do. Has anyone ever used one of these solar generators to charge their ebike?

 

[6zfshdb]

Why not use an inverter to charge your bike battery while you drive? My truck has a built in 450W inverter that I use with my ebike charger. I usually carry several batteries, and charge them while driving between riding destinations.

Inverters that plug into a cigarette lighter socket, like this one, are considerably cheaper than a solar generator:

Amazon.com

If you want to charge while the vehicle is parked, then the solar generator would be an option.

Welcome to the forum and by all means, post pics of your rides!