An Affordable Strategy For Whole Home Backup Power
Since the crazy storm of May 16th took out power for much of Houston, there has been a lot of chatter about strategies for backup power. So much so that I posted to NextDoor to see what interest there might be in a seminar on the matter. My intent being to share our own experience and that of a few friends who have followed a similar path. The response was very strong, the thread resulting in over 160 comments in just a couple of days!
So, I guess I have to get busy crafting the presentation. While I do that, and for the very impatient, here is a list of related items I’ve written previously:
- Decisions: 2021 Household Projects – Describes our strategy for backup power and a new air conditioner.
- Connection Options for Backup Power – Details four ways so connect a portable generator to your home.
- Backup Power: 9kW-ish Portable Invertors – An overview of large, portable inverters in the 9 kW class.
- Central Air Conditioners: Variable-Speed vs Soft Start Kits – Considering how central AC can be run from a modest generator.
- How-To Geek: Be Careful Before Running Your Computer From a Gas Generator – Comparing a generator to an inverter.
- NYT on Household Energy Monitors – Using a cheap energy monitor to learn how much power our home uses, which informed our choice of generator.
It will take me some time to tie everything we’ve learned into a single (hopefully) coherent presentation. Given the level of interest, it will most likely be conducted as an online webinar. Details to follow as it progresses.