shopping for backup generator to tie with sol-ark 12k. autostart and reliability more important than price.

[Sun_Dried_Toad]

the home that we are building will be totally off grid. when we move, we will expand our PV to around 8,650w and our storage will be two fortress eFlex 5.4

while we do plan to expand even further, as time goes on, the above listed system should fully support our home.

I figure something in the 10k range should be appropriate... I think? that said, I am also OK with less than "whole home backup" sized. it would not be often, or long that we would need to rely on the gen, so we could undersize it.

what generators should we be looking at?

it does not need to be portable.

propane is my first thought on fuel, however, dual fuel might not be a bad idea. I prefer propane as an option, because of long term fuel stability.

we are not made of money, but price is not my primary concern. I am looking for reliability and seamless integration with our sol-ark 12k.

 

[Sanwizard]

the home that we are building will be totally off grid. when we move, we will expand our PV to around 8,650w and our storage will be two fortress eFlex 5.4

while we do plan to expand even further, as time goes on, the above listed system should fully support our home.

I figure something in the 10k range should be appropriate... I think? that said, I am also OK with less than "whole home backup" sized. it would not be often, or long that we would need to rely on the gen, so we could undersize it.

what generators should we be looking at?

it does not need to be portable.

propane is my first thought on fuel, however, dual fuel might not be a bad idea. I prefer propane as an option, because of long term fuel stability.

we are not made of money, but price is not my primary concern. I am looking for reliability and seamless integration with our sol-ark 12k.

Harbor freight would be the least expensive. I use a 20KW Generac natural gas/propane unit. Generator itself has been very reliable when maintained. The transfer switch has had a couple issues though. I would say it depends on where you will be. If extreme cold area in winter, snow on the panels, and low temp charging become an issue.
For reliability, look at Honda or Kohler.

 

[nodoze]

the home that we are building will be totally off grid. when we move, we will expand our PV to around 8,650w and our storage will be two fortress eFlex 5.4

while we do plan to expand even further, as time goes on, the above listed system should fully support our home.

I figure something in the 10k range should be appropriate... I think? that said, I am also OK with less than "whole home backup" sized. it would not be often, or long that we would need to rely on the gen, so we could undersize it.

what generators should we be looking at?

it does not need to be portable.

propane is my first thought on fuel, however, dual fuel might not be a bad idea. I prefer propane as an option, because of long term fuel stability.

we are not made of money, but price is not my primary concern. I am looking for reliability and seamless integration with our sol-ark 12k.

The smallest I have seen reported to work reliably in an automated fashion with the Sol-Ark is the 8.5kW Champion Generator:

Need your advice on best dual fuel generator for 12K Sol-Ark

Uh yeah, no. You've convinced me to avoid this unit at every opportunity. This has nothing to do with starting the inverter/gen. The reviews on this are mostly horrible and I've seen enough. I always ignore 5star reviews. Usually they come from paid actors. Read the 1 star reviews, they are...

diysolarforum.com

They make larger as well if you really do need 10+kW or what not though with batteries you may find 8.5kW is enough. Note that I think those are only LP powered so if you really want to have the option for gasoline (that isn't a priority for me) then you may want to review the rest of that thread I linked (and some of the threads it links to)...

 

[z_zk_z]

I purchased a Champion 4650 dual fuel recently and I have been using it 12 hours a day for the last three weeks. It is an Inverter type (mo money) than a regular generator and I like it a lot. It makes 60dB noise which is loud, if you ask me. I purchased a 100-foot electrical cord and moved it away, so I don't hear it. The propane is $4/gallon in my area, so using the generator for a few days cost the same as my electric bill for entire month. You can get a generator with remote start, if it is only gasoline (no propane or dual fuel). Make sure you get one with electric start. Signature Solar recommends (see their YouTube video) using the generator to use with a battery charger, in order to charge the batteries (instead of using the generator to feed the loads, something to think about because it would require a small generator). I am in an area with hurricanes which could cause damage to the solar panels, so I got to have another source, otherwise I would not have a generator. Also make sure to get a 120 or 250 gallon propane tank, if you don't have access to natural gas source. Good luck...

 

[mvonw]

I use a Honda 6500is converted to propane with my Sol Ark 12K. Works like a dream, but it’s shocking how much it costs to charge a battery bank from fossil fuel. I think I spent $50 worth to charge 25% of my 30kwh battery the other day.

 

[niktak11]

I use a Honda 6500is converted to propane with my Sol Ark 12K. Works like a dream, but it’s shocking how much it costs to charge a battery bank from fossil fuel. I think I spent $50 worth to charge 25% of my 30kwh battery the other day.

That doesn't sound right. I'd expect about $1/kWh from gasoline. Is propane that much more expensive?

 

[mvonw]

That doesn't sound right. I'd expect about $1/kWh from gasoline. Is propane that much more expensive?

I will double check it this week. I only use no ethanol in my small engines, it makes a huge difference in keeping the carb clean and the plastic tubing intact, so its a lot more expensive ($6+/gallon). I filled my 5 gallon tank with this and it only charged <25% of my battery bank. Propane is crazy expensive now and doesn't have the nearly the same energy density, doesn't start as well in the cold, but i have a buried 1000 gallon tank, so it's practical..

 

[Bluedog225]

For longevity (no old gas or clogged carb), and lack of stink, it’s hard to beat running the dual fuel on propane only.

I love my champion. I saw a couple of threads a while back suggesting that propane only was hard on the valves?

Not sure if true or if there is a work around.

 

[mvonw]

For longevity (no old gas or clogged carb), and lack of stink, it’s hard to beat running the dual fuel on propane only.

I love my champion. I saw a couple of threads a while back suggesting that propane only was hard on the valves?

Not sure if true or if there is a work around.

Yes, if you run a small generator on propane only, the top-end tends to wear faster. The trick is to run on gas periodically to make sure to get enough oil in the the valves. I use gas a lot in the winter (it's very cold where I am) because it starts every time, even in -30F

 

[Bluedog225]

Is there a way to accomplish this without using gasoline? I really enjoy the lack of stink.

 

[nodoze]

Is there a way to accomplish this without using gasoline? I really enjoy the lack of stink.

Isn't faster top-end wear only an issue with some dual-fuel generators & not an issue on LP only generators?

 

[mvonw]

Isn't faster top-end wear only an issue with some dual-fuel generators & not an issue on LP only generators

Yes. I have both. Never adjusted the valves on my propane only set, but definitely had to on my dual fuel, but the propane only is a much larger unit and doesn't run as hard either. I love generators and have a few 1800rpm diesel is by far the best.

 

[MarkSolar]

Not trying to upsell you on size, but when we bought our generac the 22kw model cost less than the 16kw model because it was new and they were promoting it. So you might get lucky and find a larger generator for less money. Don't know where you're located, but central air drove our requirement for the generator so we needed something pretty large.