Looking for a portable solar powered generator for home, thoughts on good options?

Question

To serve as a back-up in case of power outages (due to storms knocking down power lines) and brown/black outs (due to expected demand/supply gaps). I like the idea of making use of the primary cause of upticks in the global climate...you know, the huge nuclear ball in the sky...aka the freakin' SUN.

Criteria:

- budget is $500 - $750

- portable

- capable of powering ceiling halogen and regular lights, multiple computers/monitors and my crazy home theatre :-)

- for as much as 2-3 days

Thank me very much.

Answer 1

Now you know why the public utilities burn fossil fuel.

Answer 2

So you are wanting to buy enough power to power 80% of a home and will last for 30 plus years and think you should be able to get it for 500 dollars?

What you are talking about running will cost you 50 dollars a month from the public utility. Add that up for the 30 year life of solar panels. 30 years times 50 dollar utility bills is $18,000 and that an't even adding in the yearly 3.5% cost of living increases. Add in the 6.5% yearly fuel increases and after 30 years you will pay that low cost utility twice if not three times as much as the solar system will cost.

Don't get me wrong because I am just like you and would love to have $30,000 to $60,000 worth of power for $500. I just really don't think it will ever happen.

It would cost over what you have to buy a gas gen from lowes or home depot. Small gens will only run about 4 or 5 hours on a gallon of gas so at 3 dollars a gallon and 4 hours of run time it would cost you $18 dollars a day in gas times 365 days so you would pay $6,570 a year.

I am very welcome,

Answer 3

contact Real Goods

Hardy Diesel

they should be able to help or advise.

Answer 4

in the price range you are looking at you wont get any PV cells that can run your home theatre or PC. you would be hard pressed to find a diesel generator that could meet your specks.