Solar vs Generators...Which One Is The Best?
Summary
TLDRThis video explores solar and gas generators as backup power options, crucial during power outages caused by aging grids or extreme weather. It compares their pros and cons, discusses usage during grid failures, and outlines the ideal backup system. The presenter advocates for a combination of both solar and gas for maximum reliability, highlighting the importance of budgeting power needs and considering local conditions. The video concludes with tips on determining power requirements and selecting the right system.
Takeaways
- đ Backup power is crucial due to aging grids and extreme weather causing power outages.
- đ Internal combustion engine (ICE) generators offer on-demand power and lower upfront costs but require fuel and maintenance.
- âœïž Propane generators are preferred for long-term fuel storage and lower maintenance compared to gasoline or diesel.
- đ« ICE generators can be noisy, which compromises operational security (OPSC), and produce fumes that can be dangerous if not used properly.
- đ© ICE generators have parts that need regular maintenance and may require skills for repair, which can be a challenge post-disaster.
- đ Solar generators provide unlimited power with sunlight, are quiet for better OPSC, and produce no fumes, allowing indoor use.
- đž Solar generators have higher upfront costs but are more cost-effective in the long run with reducing battery technology prices.
- đ„ïž Solar power is dependent on sunlight; on cloudy days or at night, charging is limited without an alternative power source.
- đ For safety, never run generators indoors due to carbon monoxide risk; always use heavy-gauge extension cords for outdoor power needs.
- đ The ideal backup power solution combines both solar and gas generators to leverage the strengths of each and ensure continuous power supply.
- đ Consider your location's sunlight availability and personal power needs when choosing between solar, gas, or a hybrid system.
Q & A
What are the main topics covered in the video regarding backup power options?
-The video covers the pros and cons of solar and gas generators, how to use them when the grid goes down, what the perfect backup system looks like, and the presenter's final thoughts after working with these systems for years.
What are the advantages of internal combustion engine (ICE) generators?
-ICE generators offer on-demand power, have a lower entry upfront cost, and the option for dual or tri-fuel capabilities. They also require less maintenance than gasoline or diesel generators due to less carbon buildup.
What are the downsides of using ICE generators?
-The downsides include noise which can compromise operational security, potential fumes and carbon monoxide risks, reliance on fuel sources that may be limited during disasters, and the need for regular maintenance and repair skills.
Why does the presenter prefer propane over gasoline or diesel for generators?
-Propane can be stored for years without issues, requires less maintenance due to less carbon buildup, and although slightly less powerful than gasoline, the advantages outweigh the disadvantage.
What are the pros of solar generators mentioned in the video?
-Solar generators have an unlimited power source with the sun, no noise for better operational security, no fumes for safe indoor use, no need for an external fuel source, and they require minimal maintenance.
What are the cons of solar generators according to the video?
-The cons include higher upfront costs compared to gas generators, dependency on sunlight for charging, and the fact that solar panels rarely produce at 100% of their rated capacity due to various factors like weather and positioning.
How does the presenter suggest using solar generators during a power outage?
-The presenter suggests using solar generators indoors safely due to the lack of fumes and noise, and connecting them to solar panels outside for charging when possible.
What is the ideal approach to backup power according to the video?
-The ideal approach is to have both solar and gas generators on standby to cover situations where one type may be less effective, such as no sun for solar or fuel scarcity for gas.
How can a combination of solar and gas generators be beneficial?
-Having both types of generators allows extending the fuel life of the gas generator by using it to charge the solar generator's batteries, which can quadruple the fuel efficiency.
What is the presenter's recommendation for those living in areas with less sun?
-For those in areas with less sun, the presenter recommends considering a combination of both solar and gas generators to ensure backup power reliability.
What additional resources does the presenter suggest for further information?
-The presenter suggests watching videos on determining power needs and the annual solar generator review for more insights and to stay updated on advancements in the market.
Outlines
đ Backup Power Options: Solar vs. Gas Generators
This video explores the comparison between solar and gas generators as backup power solutions. With an unreliable power grid due to aging infrastructure and extreme weather, having a backup power source is essential. The video discusses the pros and cons of both systems, usage during grid failures, the ideal backup system configuration, and the presenter's personal insights after years of experience with these systems. The focus is on understanding the options available for when the power grid goes down.
đ Pros and Cons of ICE Generators and Solar Generators
The first paragraph delves into the advantages and disadvantages of internal combustion engine (ICE) generators and solar generators. ICE generators offer on-demand power and have a lower initial cost but can be noisy and produce fumes, which can be dangerous if not managed properly. They also require regular maintenance and are limited by the available fuel. On the other hand, solar generators provide an unlimited power source as long as there is sunlight, are quiet, fume-free, and require minimal maintenance. However, they are typically more expensive upfront and their power generation is dependent on weather conditions and the efficiency of the solar panels.
đ€ïž Solar Generators: Maintenance, Portability, and Charging
This section highlights the low maintenance requirements of solar generators, which mainly involve periodic charging and discharging to keep the battery healthy. The ease of transportation for solar panels and the ability to use them indoors without the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning are also discussed. The video addresses the cons of solar generators, such as higher upfront costs and the reliance on sunlight for charging. It also touches on the importance of using heavy-gauge extension cords for outdoor power needs and the benefits of a transfer switch for connecting backup power systems to the home's electrical panel.
đ The Perfect Backup Power System: Combining Solar and Gas
The final paragraph suggests that the perfect backup power system may involve using both solar and gas generators. This combination provides the benefits of solar power when the sun is shining and the reliability of gas generators when sunlight is not available. The video mentions a smart system by EcoFlow that allows for seamless integration between solar and gas generators, automating the process of charging and powering devices. The presenter emphasizes the importance of budgeting power needs and understanding the limitations and capabilities of each system. The video concludes with recommendations for further resources on determining power needs and an annual review of solar generator options.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄBackup Power
đĄInternal Combustion Engine Generators (ICE)
đĄDual Fuel or Tri Fuel Generators
đĄOperational Security (OPSEC)
đĄCarbon Monoxide
đĄSolar Generators
đĄBattery Technology
đĄTransfer Switch
đĄCritical Load
đĄEcoFlow Delta Pro 3
Highlights
Comparison of solar and gas generators as backup power options
Discussing the pros and cons of both systems
Advantages of ICE generators: On-demand power and lower upfront cost
Preference for dual fuel or tri fuel generators for fuel source flexibility
Propane generators require less maintenance and can be stored for years
Disadvantages of ICE generators: Noise, fumes, and limited fuel source
Operational security concerns with noise from generators
Risk of carbon monoxide poisoning with improper generator use
The need for regular maintenance and skills for generator repairs
Limited mobility of gas generators and fuel storage requirements
Pros of solar generators: Unlimited power source, no noise, and no fumes
Solar generators are easier to transport and maintain
Cons of solar generators: Higher upfront cost and reliance on sunlight
Battery technology improvements making solar generators more affordable
The importance of budgeting power needs during emergencies
Combining solar and gas generators for the perfect backup system
The advantage of using a transfer switch for connecting generators to the main panel
Final thoughts on choosing the right backup power system based on location and needs
Recommendations for further learning on determining power needs and annual solar generator reviews
Transcripts
in this video we're going to compare
solar and gas generators as backup power
options now between an aging grid and
extreme weather events we're
increasingly seeing more incidents of
our power grid going down and having
power is really an essential part of our
lives so knowing your options when it
comes to backup power it's essential
here's what we're going to cover in this
video we're going to discuss the pros
and cons of both of these systems we're
going to discuss how to use them when
the grid goes down we'll discuss what
the perfect backup system looks like and
I'll give you my final thoughts after
working with these systems for years so
let's go ahead and jump
[Music]
in pros and cons of both systems let's
start with ice or internal combustion
engine generators these are the typical
generators that probably most of you are
familiar with now the pros of these
systems is that you get On Demand power
when you need it it's ready to go as
long as you have a fuel source such as
propane gasoline or diesel and typically
these have a lower entry upfront cost to
buy and compared to something like a
solar generator and the panels that
you'll need for it but as we all know
you get what you pay for and you can get
budget options but quality generators
they do come at a cost now a quick side
note I prefer dual fuel or Tri fuel
generators it really gives you options
for your various fuel sources you're not
pigeon hole to just one in propane it
can be stored for years this particular
tank I charged it 7 years ago and I
pulled it out the the other day to run
the generator not a problem propane
generators they also typically require
less maintenance than gasoline or diesel
generators because they have less carbon
buildup in the engine the only downside
of propane is it's slightly less
powerful than gasoline but I think the
advantages are way better to have
propane so let's discuss the cons of a
system like this the first and the most
obvious is a noise anytime you fire this
up it's going to draw attention to
you others are going to instantly know
that you have a resource and this is
where the term opsc comes in opsc refers
to operational security it's essentially
keeping information that you want to
keep secure you keep it to yourself and
in this case other people now know that
you have a resource and that's a
giveaway the other item is fumes if you
look at a lot of the um post disaster
reports on areas when they get impacted
a lot of times the initial disaster is
not what will kill people but it's the
post- disaster scenario where people are
running something like one of these they
don't have it in the right place maybe
they have it next to a window or next to
some kind of air intake you know on the
HVAC on their house what ends up
happening is it pumps carbon monoxide
into their house and unfortunately
people pass away from that now the other
disadvantage to a system like this is
that you're limited to the fuel source
on hand I can't produce more gas or
propane uh I would have to stand in line
for hours after disaster if I wanted to
get gasoline with other people and
that's just a situation I don't want to
put myself in the next consideration is
Parts you're really limited to what you
can store on this first of all these
need to be maintained you've got to
spend either your own time or you have
to pay somebody to maintain these and I
don't want to overblow this but again on
a small engine like this it's not that
difficult to do tuneups but again it
does have to be done on a regular basis
to keep this operating properly and
again it does require some basic skills
to make repairs one of the common
stories I often hear in the comments is
that uh after a disaster people will be
running a generator they'll hear a
neighbor running a generator for a few
days if there are several days into a
disaster and then it will stop running
and if that individual doesn't know how
to repair it well then it becomes a
paper weight and so again you have to
really consider are you going to be able
to maintain this and do you have the
skills and ability to fix an issue if it
comes up during operation and the last
and obvious is that these are not overly
mobile this is a pretty good size unit
and then I've got also this fuel source
if I have to pack up and leave throwing
these into a truck yeah that's not a big
issue but if you don't have a big truck
or maybe you're in a smaller City and
that could be an issue solar
generators so let's go ahead and start
off with the pros the obvious with these
units is that you effectively have an
unlimited source of power as long as you
have the sun tied in with your solar
panels now with a ice or internal
combustion engine you have the
limitation of your fuel source propane
diesel gas with these you're good to go
as long as you can manage and budget how
much power you're using combined with
the solar panels now the other great
feature is they don't have any noise and
again this is great for opsc or
operational secur security people can't
hear these operating it's not going to
draw attention to you so it's a huge
feature the other thing is that you
don't have any fumes and you can run
these in doors whereas with a regular
gas generator you can't bring these into
your house to power devices the other
thing as we talked about in the first
point is that you don't need an external
fuel source you don't have to store any
fuel for these and again if the power
goes down and you're running a a
standard generator you run out now you
got to go stay in line with everybody
else to get gasoline and that's just a
situation where I just don't want to
deal with again with solar panels as
long as I have the sun I can continue to
charge these the other thing is I don't
have to maintain them the only real
maintenance is just pulling them out
maybe once a month and charging them and
discharging them typically what I'll do
is just plug it in something draw it
down the power and then charge it up to
50% and store it away again till next
month and that keeps the battery more or
less healthy these are a lot easier to
transport as well now over here I've got
a 400 wat solar panel these are solar
blankets I've covered these on the
channel before these are very easy to
transport I keep these next to all my
bugout gear over here so I can grab a
couple of uh 200 WT solar panels or
solar blankets they are just easily
throw them into the back seats on the
floorboard and they're good to go so
let's talk about the cons first
typically these are more expensive
upfront versus something like a gas
generator and again depending on what
type you actually buy it could be
comparable if you get something like a
Honda now Battery Technology the good
news is that year-over-year it's getting
cheaper we're seeing the technology just
getting better and getting cheaper when
I first started reviewing these type of
devices years ago about six or seven
years ago the price was roughly about
double or triple for something
comparable uh of what you can get today
speaking of price at the time we
recording this video ecoflow is actually
running some deals on Amazon on these
particular models over here and I'll put
links in the description and comment
section below along with some coupon
codes if you're interested in checking
that out so again as we pointed out a
second ago one of the other obvious cons
is that if there's no sun you can't
charge them unless you have a power
source maybe the power is up for a
little bit you can charge them or if you
have something like a propane or gas
generator now one of the other things I
want to acknowledge is that with these
units again they're called solar
generators and you can plug them into
solar panels and you can charge them but
solar panels they rarely produce at 100%
I've seen it happen but it's not it's
it's the exception not the rule on
average you're usually going to get
around 70 maybe to 45% of what the panel
is rated for depending on the conditions
and again it depends if they're pointed
directly at the Sun
now with these portable panels over here
that I've got next to me they can be
moved and pointed at the sun to optimize
the solar input but if you have roof or
ground mounts they're not going to be
directly pointing to at the sun
throughout the entire day and if it's
cloudy out you're just not going to get
a lot of solar input so if you need a
lot of power over an extended period of
time unless you have a lot of solar
panels and plenty of Sun you're going to
be at a disadvantage with a system like
this when the grid goes down
down so when the grid goes down you can
run your solar generator inside your
house you can bring it inside you can
leave it inside and have the solar
connected to it from outside whatever
you want to do but with an internal
combustion engine you obviously cannot
run that inside your house the carbon
monoxide is lethal you have to be
careful with internal combustion engines
if you uh are operating them you have to
keep them away from your windows your
garage any type of hva system you just
don't want the fumes to somehow get into
the house you have to keep them at
distance
OB obviously again this is a carbon
monoxide issue and as I talked about
earlier in the video a lot of times
after disaster that's where a lot of the
casualties come from people operating
these devices too close to their house
and as a result they get sick or they
die now if you operate these devices
outside of your house again your gas
generator or even if you have the solar
generator outside plugged into solar
panels you want to have a heavy gauge
extension cord that you run from the
outside inside to power different things
such as your refrigerator whatever else
these they cost more but these heavy
gauges they'll carry a much higher load
versus something like a cheap flimsy uh
you know extension ore like this that
will overheat very quickly and could
burn up so again make sure that you're
considering that something that will
carry a heavy load now the ideal
approach is something like a transfer
switch these you can pick up at your
local hardware store online and you can
connect this to your main panel now of
course this is going to require an
electrician I'm not going to talk about
the insulation on this video because I'm
not an electrician but these you can
plug in your uh I'm sorry you can plug
in here on the front this has a cap on
it right now but you some of these have
uh you know 120 or 240 volt plugins and
then you can set up your circuits to
connect with your main panel in your
house and then you can power certain
loads and again based on the size of
your gas generator or your solar
generator uh you're only going to be
able to power certain lines in your
house that's kind of a misconception now
if you want to run something heavy like
your uh you know you know air
conditioners outside it is in theory
possible obviously with a gas you can do
that but uh there are some solar
generators that can probably pull that
off some of the heavier that output 240
volt we are going to do a video in about
a month or so comparing the larger
models that can handle that but overall
you're probably going to want to power
what's considered your critical load
these things like your uh Comfort
switches inside your lights your
refrigerator the things that are most
important and so if the grid were to go
down having these backup systems that
can flip over and you can connect it
into a sub panel again with something
like this uh you know transfer switch
it's going to enable you to power the
most important things that you need so
let's talk about the final and what I
consider the perfect combination because
a lot of times what we do in these
videos is we pit one against the other
we say well solar is better gas is
better the real solution and what I keep
is both of both of these on standby both
gas and solar and now I know that costs
obviously more to have both of those
options but as the old saying goes don't
put all your eggs in one basket you know
so having both Solutions is kind of The
Best of Both Worlds you know with solar
the sun may not always you know sun
won't always be shining so having a gas
generator to both power the devices you
need and power the batteries at the same
time is going to be very very beneficial
having a solar generator set up it also
the main advantage is with a gas
generator an ice generator it extends
the amount of fuel that you'll need to
operate that internal combustion engine
what do I mean you know if you run a
standard let's say gas generator and
that's all you have you don't have a
battery system like one of these solar
generators well as soon as you turn it
off obviously you're not going to be
able to power anything but if you're
able to power the batteries in the Solar
generators you can turn off the gas
generator and I've watched various
videos where people have used this
approach and what they've pointed out is
you can usually extend the fuel on hand
that you have whether that's propane or
gas by about 4X so that's really the
advantage in that situation now I want
to point out one other option we talk
about the combination of solar and gas
is a video that we just recently did on
ecof flow's newest Delta Pro 3 they have
a new dual fuel generator 4000 the
advantage with this system is that they
connect and tie together and they talk
to each other so if the batteries Get
Low it goes over and tells the fuel
generator to kick on powered up to a
certain amount that you define in the
app and then whenever it's filled up the
gas generator will turn off and so again
that's where you have the ADV the
advantage of a smart system that ties
together the thing I always encourage
people is learn to budget your power
needs and that's really the thing as
Americans we love having all the power
we want on demand and that can be a
problem in an emergency situation the
more power you want the more things are
going to cost the more fuel you'll need
the more batteries the more solar panels
so if you can learn to reduce and
control your power needs solar can be in
my opinion the most effective approach
in all of this final thoughts let me
finish up this part of the video with my
final thoughts on having experience with
both of these platforms both Sol and gas
where I live we have nothing but sun and
it's our greatest abundant resource in
my area I live in Southern California so
sun is very abundant here so for me
solar is a no- brainer but again you may
live in a different part of the world
where there's not a lot of sun maybe you
live in an area for example Germany or
somewhere in that area where it just
don't get as much sun it may be darker
somewhere on the you know up in Oregon
and that issue can be a problem when
you're looking at a system like this
when you're just solely relying on solar
in that situation having that
combination of both the batteries and
the gas to operate as I explained a
second ago that's your ideal approach so
you have to really consider and factor
in your area again there's not just one
solution for everything I hate to say
that I know a lot of times it's easy to
say well go with solar and again that's
my bias because of the area that I live
in but I am realistic and I understand
that it's going to be different for
everyone so think through your budget
that's usually where most people start
and again I'll post links to the
products I talked about there are some
coupon codes if you're interested in
anything that we covered now and final I
would recommend that you watch the two
videos I'm going to post up here on the
screen one is how to determine your
power needs it's a really great video
that goes to and explains all the
considerations to help you determine
what size system you need in the other
videos the annual solar generator review
that I do we just did one about 6 weeks
ago or so and I go through and compare
all the options on the market at this
time there's been a lot of advancements
and you'll definitely want to check that
out if you are interested if you have
any feedback or any thoughts feel free
to post it below and as always stay safe
out there
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