Backup generator line vs solar feed, I flipped sides after a storm

I used to route every backup install straight to a generator transfer switch, no questions asked. Then a customer outside Austin had a 3 day outage and their genny died after 11 hours because the tank was only half full. Their neighbor with a solar battery setup kept the modem and fridge running the whole time. I switched my recommendation for small residential jobs to a hybrid inverter with a solar input, even if they only add 2 panels at first. It costs about $800 more on average, but the customer gets power during daylight without burning fuel. My own truck now carries a spare charge controller for these installs, and I've done 6 of them since March. Has anyone else made this call and seen better callbacks, or do you stick with gens for the reliability? I'm still shaky on whether lithium packs hold up in Texas heat long term.

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kelly619d ago

their genny died after 11 hours because the tank was only half full" that's not a generator problem, that's a lack of common sense problem. My customers know to keep the tank topped off before a storm, it's in the manual and I tell them twice. I've seen solar setups fail when the sun doesn't come out for five days straight in winter. And that $800 extra you're charging? That's a whole lot of fuel for most folks. I had a guy last year whose battery management system fried after a heat wave, cost him more to fix than a generator would've driven total. Lithium in Texas heat is a real gamble, and I don't like betting my reputation on something that needs a software update to work.