dnw64
Veteran Member
As for knowing if it's running? Generac, and I'd suspect others, send messages through an app to your cell phone.
Fur sure, Cummins. No doubt all other major players as well.
As for knowing if it's running? Generac, and I'd suspect others, send messages through an app to your cell phone.
My point was if there’s a multiple day outage when nobody is home, the generator runs 24 hours a day.
Seems like only minimal (~1/2 hour, ~2-3 times a day?) duty is required.
I guess if you have a sump that takes in a lot of water, or a leaky fridge/freezer, it may need to run more.
Seems like a lot of waste.
My point was if there’s a multiple day outage when nobody is home, the generator runs 24 hours a day.
Seems like only minimal (~1/2 hour, ~2-3 times a day?) duty is required.
I guess if you have a sump that takes in a lot of water, or a leaky fridge/freezer, it may need to run more.
Seems like a lot of waste.
I priced a whole home full auto setup.... $11,750 cash installed.... that痴 if my natural gas meter was big enough ( they didn稚 think it would be) and placing it on the bedroom side of the house near gas meter instead of opposite side of the house to keep noise away from bedrooms.
I am more often in town than not and when not home, I have someone house sitting. I have step by step instructions on the breaker box so it痴 not hard for anyone to get up and going.
While I would love whole home, auto setup.... the wife and I decided it wasn稚 work the cost.
My only issue is I would like to install a 15kw solar system next year-but, how to incorporate all this together? Or will the solar panels make the Generac obsolete.....I don't know yet.
What REALLY excites me is, I don't have to pay that HUGE ridiculous gas bill at the end of the month, because I was too lazy to go out and start my generator! lolI am sooooo excited not having to get up in the storm or freezing cold to startup my portable generator or PTO..
What REALLY excites me is, I don't have to pay that HUGE ridiculous gas bill at the end of the month, because I was too lazy to go out and start my generator! lol
SR
My 9.8kw grid tied system was about $30k. Had to reinforce the barn roof ($4k) & about 2-3k to install a 400@ disconnect & proper sized 100@ service to the barn (in addition to the solar wiring).Short answer, NO.
Unless you want to spend a hundred grand (or more - I know someone who recently spent roughly double that just on batteries, for their house) on batteries, power from solar doesn't last long when the sun don't shine...
IMO any off-grid power system needs AT LEAST two sources of power. You will never have any one at all times. Wind, water, sun - they all tend to have different cycles, even with two "alternative" sources I would still want a generator.
I'd be looking at several grand for a new inverter & probably as much for a battery charging & management system. Pure guess, but I'm betting over $10k for batteries.
As others have said you need a backup system to charge the batteries if the panels are covered in snow or clouds. My 25kw PTO generator could do it, but wouldnt be optimal.