I’d do some solar now and eliminate the generator other than backup.
You’d be surprised how effective even 1000W is especially if you’re mindful of usage.
I have been thinking this too! Thank you.
How many watt hours are you needing? And the highest load and for how long?
12V systems do have weird little bonuses like the plethora of high quality lighting options from the RV and off grid world, and so many battery things have car chargers available. And though it ain’t best nor a good regular practice you can easily boost your system off your car with jumper cables in a bad circumstance.
If you need anything above 1500- or 2000W 12V starts not being as attractive imho
I started off on this journey several years ago when I bought two 6v deep cycle lead acid batteries. They gave me the ability to have many hours of light and to charge devices or use my PC or other devices, if needed. However, the lead acid batteries were not great from a maintenance perspective, DoD, and weight.
In planning for emergency preparedness, my initial goal was to be able to power our two refrigerators and freezer for at least 12 - 24 hours so that I would not have to guard a generator through the night. They use approx. 450 watts when they are running. I bought 8 280AH LiFePO4 battery cells from AliExpress based on info found on Will Prowse's YouTube channel and websites. I have been fortunate in that those cells seem to be working quite well. I built the first 12v battery and tested it. I was able to run my refrigerators and freezer for 12 - 16 hours or so and use only about 40% of the battery capacity. I ran it for a number of days by keeping the refrigerators and freezer plugged into the inverter and then charging for about 3 - 4 hours with the AIMS 75 amp charger each day.
Now, I have built the second 12v battery and incorporated it and am testing the battery pack capacity now since I got the cells balanced.
For emergency preparedness and the occasional power outage that occur very infrequently, I want to be able to run electrical devices for food preparation and cooking, in addition to the refrigerators/freezer, lights, and network, etc. These would be used for short periods, but have temporarily high consumption. Of most importance is the microwave, which is drawing about 2,100 watts or so - maybe a little higher. I would like to be able to use the Instant Pot (it says up to 1,700 watts but it is not continuous while in use) or high-power blender (maybe ~1,500 watts on high). The intention would be to use high-power devices individually and temporarily, as needed, for cooking or running tools for repairs, etc.
There is no issue running the refrigerators and freezer, along with the home network, some lights, some computer equipment, etc. When adding in the temporary power draw of the food prep/cooking devices, the number of watts/amps increases significantly for a short period. This is where I could see an advantage with going 24v to reduce the amp requirements during these times. However, since the goal is emergency preparedness, we would also want to be cognizant of our power usage to be frugal with the power consumption.
I want the ability to utilize high watts (up to 6,000 watts would be nice), but for short periods while keeping the overall power draw low for the essential items. Some solar power would be very beneficial, especially during the day to charge batteries and limit utilization of the batteries to preserve them for evening through morning hours. With sufficient solar in an emergency situation, the batteries may not need to be utilized very much.
We live in an earthquake area. In March of 2020, we had a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in the area where I live. It shook our house quite a bit. I believe we will have a very large earthquake at some point in the future. Our home could become uninhabitable. We also have a sewage pump in the basement that would need to be kept operational since our kitchen and downstairs bathrooms are dependent on it. Additionally, if there were a water line break, that pump would be needed to keep the basement from flooding.
Anyway, I don't think I am to the point where I would want to try to run the house off of solar and battery power completely, but I do want the capabilities to have emergency power for the essentials during a power outage or extended crisis situation. With some 12v (and maybe 24v) equipment, we could also take some of these capabilities with us if we had to leave our home for some reason, or for camping, etc.