Back-up Power Packages

Back-up Power is a concept that is gradually creeping in the consciousness of mainstream America. During the "Y2K" scare of 1999, thousands of American purchased fossil-fueled generators as a backup power source in case utility power failed. While Y2K was rather anticlimactic, many folks discovered that having a generator could be a handy thing during the occasional utility outage. They also discovered that it takes a lot of fuel to keep a generator running constantly, and the continuous drone of a generator isn't much fun either.

Adding a power inverter and battery to a generator greatly expands the usefulness of the system and saves a lot of generator fuel. That's because the battery-inverter combination can supply electricity 24-hours a day, even when the generator isn't running. That means lights and power are available throughout the night, -without the generator. In most cases, the generator can be run for just a few hours each day to recharge the battery, which provides electricity until the next day. This is a much more efficient use of generator fuel, and saves lots of wear on your generator too.

Completely aside from preparedness for a social-economic doomsday, there are plenty of people who live in areas that are prone to natural disasters. Preparing for the long-term electric outages associated with storms, floods, earthquakes and heavy winter snowfall can be a smart move. While we have no intention of fueling a "doomsday" scare, it's the nature of our business to provide products to deal with utility outages. While a generator alone works great for a utility outage of a few hours, it becomes difficult to store enough fuel for multiple days. If it's your goal to prepare for a power outage of several days or longer, an inverter-battery system can turn a generator into a realistic long-term emergency power solution. Add a small solar array and charge controller for a system for a system that will provide electricity almost indefinitely (within the limits of the equipment).

BEWARE of all-in-one products that make lots of feel-good claims about their capabilities without offering real life electrical specifications. In short, if one person can pick it up, the product probably won't be useful for much besides charging a cell phone or running a laptop for a short time. There are certain physical characteristics (size and weight) that simply cannot be overcome without compromising product performance. All the products we offer have published specifications and their performance can be accurately predicted. These are products that will actually work when you need them.

We offer here a small assortment of convenient backup power packages to meet common needs, but we can design larger system for specific purposes. Just contact us to discuss the options.