Solar and batteries or generator when grid goes down?

[Bob The Builder]

I have a small solar grid tie system and will soon expand to net metering and a 5K solar system to start then 10K. I decided against going the battery back thing and here is why. Let me say this I was in the direct path of Hurricane Ida in South Louisiana a month ago. We lost power for 16 days. I have a triple fuel gasoline, propane, and natural gas 14,000 watt American made Generator. My house is two story with a two ton A/C central for each floor. We ran the Generator on natural gas. For 16 days. We let the Generator rest 2 hour in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. Changing the oil and filter every 100 hour. Our national gas bill was $260.for 320 hours of running time. We ran one a/c at a time. Washed clothes used microwave, toaster etc. 2 refrigerators also TV computers. Just like being on the grid! The Generator was under $4,000 a good lithium 8 battery set up would cost $6,400 for just the batteries. Generator is just sitting there for next time. So you say "but I can use my batteries at night to power my home. It's costing you over 0.50 a KWH when net metering would
cost less that 0.10 a KWH for being your batteries and the grid don't have batteries that need changing. This is just my thoughts after getting some good info.here on this forum.

 

[Bob The Builder]

My Triple fuel American made Generator!

 

[Porch]

Yep. A generator is often the best bang for the buck for this. But the letting the generator "rest" thing makes no sense. It's not a horse. Once it's up to temp, it's best for it to stay at that temp. If anything, the "rest" causes more wear as it's causing the entire thing to cool off then heat back up again causing, a small amount, of thermal stress.

 

[Texas-Mark]

I agree that there is no need to let a generator "rest". Keep it out of the sun if it's really hot out, and you are good to go.

 

[Bob The Builder]

Yep. A generator is often the best bang for the buck for this. But the letting the generator "rest" thing makes no sense. It's not a horse. Once it's up to temp, it's best for it to stay at that temp. If anything, the "rest" causes more wear as it's causing the entire thing to cool off then heat back up again causing, a small amount, of thermal stress.

Will I disagree. I let my car, motorcycle, tractor etc. rest. It has to cool down to check or change the oil. More wear I would say No. That makes no sense to me at all! Not changing the oil at 100 hours would cause wear. Not letting it REST!

 

[Bob The Builder]

Always Let it rest!

 

[Texas-Mark]

I let my car, motorcycle, tractor etc. rest. It has to cool down to check or change the oil.

Seriously? I guess my car did not get the memo when we drove coast to coast non stop (along with all of the other many hour drives). I live rural and have never known any farmer to stop to let their tractor rest. Sure, you might want to let things cool off a bit before changing the oil, but more to not burn your hands than anything. Better not tell the Jiffy Lube people that they have to let the car cool off before changing the oil.

 

[Texas-Mark]

Always Let it rest!

All that says is to perform routine maintenance IF you don't need to run it continuously. But whatever, I will continue to drive, plow and run my genny as long as I need to.

 

[Bob The Builder]

All that says is to perform routine maintenance IF you don't need to run it continuously. But whatever, I will continue to drive, plow and run my genny as long as I need to.

A Generator has capacitors and they need to rest also! Also my gas bill needed a rest! Lol!

 

[Bob The Builder]

All that says is to perform routine maintenance IF you don't need to run it continuously. But whatever, I will continue to drive, plow and run my genny as long as I need to.

A Generator has capacitors and they need to rest also! Also my gas bill needed a rest! Lol

Seriously? I guess my car did not get the memo when we drove coast to coast non stop (along with all of the other many hour drives). I live rural and have never known any farmer to stop to let their tractor rest. Sure, you might want to let things cool off a bit before changing the oil, but more to not burn your hands than anything. Better not tell the Jiffy Lube people that they have to let the car cool off before changing the oil.

Lol I know no farmer who works at night! If I buy a second hand car I want a low mileage one driven by a little old lady to church on sundays! You saying run it Hard it's good for it! Lol!

 

[Delmar]

I would get a nominal amount of batteries (~5kwh) to run the home, especially while sleeping. A golf cart does just fine. Add a small amount of solar (~400w) to extend the runtime.

Then I would use the generator to run the AC units and charge the batteries. Saves gas, plus I can't stand the drone of a generator while attempting to sleep.

 

[Texas-Mark]

My last vehicle had 360K miles on it when I gave it to a friend (in running condition).

 

[Bob The Builder]

All that says is to perform routine maintenance IF you don't need to run it continuously. But whatever, I will continue to drive, plow and run my genny as long as I need to.

That is what the last part said, go back and read it again, it said not to abuse it!

 

[Bob The Builder]

I would get a nominal amount of batteries (~5kwh) to run the home, especially while sleeping. A golf cart does just fine. Add a small amount of solar (~400w) to extend the runtime.

Then I would use the generator to run the AC units and charge the batteries. Saves gas, plus I can't stand the drone of a generator while attempting to sleep.

My Generator is in my shop exhaust to the outside 100 foot away!

 

[Bob The Builder]

My last vehicle had 360K miles on it when I gave it to a friend (in running condition).

Was that truck air cooled as well?

 

[Texas-Mark]

Lol I know no farmer who works at night!

I see them running well into the dark here when the crops come in or when plowing. There is a reason they have flood lights on the top.

 

[Texas-Mark]

That is what the last part said, go back and read it again, it said not to abuse it!

I would never buy a generator from a manufacturer that considers running it as abuse.

 

[Bob The Builder]

I would get a nominal amount of batteries (~5kwh) to run the home, especially while sleeping. A golf cart does just fine. Add a small amount of solar (~400w) to extend the runtime.

Then I would use the generator to run the AC units and charge the batteries. Saves gas, plus I can't stand the drone of a generator while attempting to sleep.

I see them running well into the dark here when the crops come in. There is a reason they have flood lights on the top.

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Before heading off to Vietnam I had a girlfriend who lived on a pea farm and we would get in the hay loft at night as they harvest the peas. We had a blanket and a bottle of wine as we watched the many tractors lights in the hills of Washington state! So they do work at night!

 

[Porch]

Shut it down to preform maintenance, do checks, that is fine. But turning it off for "rest", nope. I have run large generators for weeks solid. They only got shutoff for oil changes and any maintenance at their scheduled interval.

 

[Bob The Builder]

I would never buy a generator from a manufacturer that considers running it as abuse.

All I know is I was going the lithium batteries thing as you can discharge them down low, but after the cat 5 hit us head on and I was on Generator for 16 day. It 100 foot away in my shop. So noise was not a problem and the cost was so cheap. I will go net metering and let them be my battery and use the Generator when we have a power outage. Man they had to change 1000s of telephone poles around here. Couldn't go to town for 5 days, when we did get to town almost everything was closed. No water for a week. Couldn't get gasoline all supermarkets closed.