Pros and Cons of Solar Emergency Battery Backup Systems
Solar emergency battery backup systems are used to maintain your quality of life in the event the commercial power grid fails. You can keep your food safe by running your refrigerator, keep your basement dry with a sump pump or pump safe drinking water from your well.
When the lights go out at home, it's reassuring to know you can survive comfortably on your own when you have planned ahead and installed solar emergency battery backup systems.
Power failures occur today just as they did thirty years ago. Power poles and cables are still damaged by natural disasters and even by strong afternoon rainstorms with high winds.
In addition, in some urban areas rolling blackouts are the norm. During the hottest seasons of the year the power load is managed to serve the customers but also to preserve the integrity of the grid and keep it from overloading.
A solar emergency battery backup is a good investment for homeowners in areas where hurricane or tornadoes are most common or where rolling blackouts are the norm.
With this emergency system in place, you are ready to continue your daily life as usual.
Pros of Solar Emergency Battery Backups Systems
A solar backup kit can be purchased in a size that will suit your personal needs. For the average homeowner a 1350 watt backup kit will keep your home's critical systems running during utility blackouts.
The kits are flexible and can be charged with the sun or you can use a wall plug to provide a charge.
There are limits to what a solar emergency battery kit can do. You can't heat your oven or run your heat or A/C system as those appliances require more power than an emergency battery can supply.
However, you can keep your food supply in your refrigerator or freezer safe, run fans and keep the lights on. In a power outage, rural homes have an added disadvantage as their water source is often a deep well that requires a pump to send water into the home.
An emergency battery system won't heat the water for a shower - but it can provide water when you turn on the faucet.
A solar emergency battery backup system for a standard home includes one solar panel, a battery and charge controller, a tether to keep the solar panel in place and an AC charger for use with a wall plug.
In most cases the battery is easy to transport with a handle and wheels and for some advanced kits even the solar panel is mounted on a 2-wheel system that makes it easy to put in place.
An emergency battery system today is well designed for ease of use and can be rolled into place to begin charge or to use battery power in only a couple of minutes.
New power packs designed to provide emergency power are using lithium technology rather than old style batteries. This allows a light weight and easily portable emergency battery that can be use for campers as well as at home.
The most advanced products in the portable emergency power kits offer accessories such as cranks that can be used to recharge the battery if needed when the sun isn't an option. The units have a carry strap and are often used in remote work locations as well as in the home.
Cons of a Solar Emergency Battery Backup System
Why don't all homeowners have na emergency backup system in place in their home? The technology exists and the kits are easy to use and store - but the cost is a huge factor for many people.
You can find small solar backup batteries to power a flashlight or a fan for $40 or less but you can buy new batteries for less than that.
An emergency backup for your home will run only the most basic appliances and the cost will be $1000 or more to have the system in place and ready to go.
If you live in tornado alley or on the Gulf Coast you know the necessity for generators and extra batteries.
Homeowners are gradually switching from huge gas-fueled generators to solar emergency battery backups systems but only when their current generator stops working.
With traditional emergency generators, the power can only be maintained as long as your fuel lasts. This method requires storing combustible gas in your home. The solar emergency battery doesn't have to be a major part of preparing for a storm.
You can plug the battery into a wall plug for the initial charging. You don't need to stock up on combustible and dangerous fuels and the battery will keep providing energy as long as you need it as you can recharge it daily using the solar panel.
