Is a portable solar-powered generator practical for powering my home?

Kristin Vogel - January 17, 2023

Advice

I don’t have solar panels on my house and I don’t have the money to invest in a rooftop array. I want something to power my home…the refrigerator as much as needed, lights at night, our on-demand water heater. Is a portable system with panels I can set up in my backyard practical for this purpose? I like the idea that we can take it with us if we need to. I would love your thoughts and thanks in advance.

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I don’t think a portable solar generator is enough to power your home, you’d need a fuel generator at least to achieve that. The prepared has a really good primer you might want to look at that https://theprepared.com/gear/guides/off-grid-power-101/

 

Not my home..but one appliance at a time sort of thing..a few lights in a room when necessary. 

 

A (few) lamps yes if it’s a big enough/powerful enough battery/generator. But definitely not a fridge. A gas/propane powered generator could do that though.

 

I have two solar generators and as stated, they aren’t really designed to run heavy duty appliances.  Perfect for lights, recharging devices and running smaller appliances.  My 9000 watt dual fuel generator is perfect for running more items, including refrigerators.

 

Probably not.  Check out the articles on this website on small portable panels.

My approach is to use several small portable lights, headlamps and flashlights, as well as power banks.

Impose refrigerator discipline (no frivolous opening).  Cook on a variety of camp stoves.  Crank up the fireplace.  Basically we camp out in the house.  Have done so for up to three days….

 

I have 2 Jackery 1500’s w/4 – 100watt panels .. I am now planning to purchase 2 12volt freezers and 1 dual zone freezer/refrigerator .. if we loose the electric grid I can limit the loss of my frozen food .. relying on solar I think 12volt is the best way to go .. for long term outage ……  NOW if the electricity for the  city water/sanitation dept. goes down then .. NO WATER at our faucets .. NOW we have a BIG BIG problem … 

 

I totally get where you’re coming from. Investing in a rooftop solar panel system can be a big expense, especially if it’s not feasible right now. But hey, a portable solar-powered generator sounds like a pretty good idea alternative! You’re looking to power essentials like your refrigerator, lights, and even an on-demand water heater, which are important stuff, right? From what I’ve seen, a portable system with panels you can set up in your backyard could totally handle those needs. Plus, the flexibility of being able to take it with you if you need to? That’s a huge bonus!

I’d suggest some reliable brands to find one that suits your needs and budget. And  if you used deals that’s so great, I recently find out some awesome OUPES coupons code from Ritecoupons that might come in handy for saving some extra cash.

 

Robert Evans’s podcast “It Could Happen Here” just did an episode on this. He talked about different models for different purposes and how to find a solution that fits your needs and your budget. Highly recommend. 

 

To give an example: I have an EcoFlow Delta Pro, a Smart Generator, and a 400 W solar panel.  Last wet spring, before I had the solar panel, the power went out for 3 days.  With the 3,600 W inverter I was powering 2 sump pumps, a fridge, a chest freezer, the router, a TV, a laptop, and whatever odds-and-sods electronics I needed (including an electric kettle).  The 3,600 Wh of storage meant the 1,800 W generator was running for 2-3 hours every 6-12 hours to charge the battery.  I used less than 15 L (4 gal) of gasoline over the 3 days.

The good news: my 30 L (8 gal) of jerrycans will last me a long time at that rate.  And should stretch even farther next time with the solar panel.  The downside: my whole setup was bloody expensive, although I do use it for a bunch of different things.

What you need to do is figure out what you want to run, how much power (in watts) those items use, and a rough guess of long and often they run (the duty cycle); then size your backup system to match.  Or, buy what you can afford and figure out what you can run on it.  Fridges don’t use that much power (mine pulls 120 W about 10-15% of the time) but an electric on-demand water heater will use a lot of power.  When it’s wet out, one of my sump pumps runs about 20% of the time and pulls almost 1,000 W.  If you want your house lights on, you’ll need an electrician to put in a way to plug your generator into your electrical panel.  Headlamps and candles are a lot easier.

 

Kristin – I have a 2000WH Bluetti unit and a 400W solar array.  All readily portable.  LED lights at night – no problem.  Fridge – probably not.  Electric on-demand hot water heater – too much power draw.  Probably better to plan on boiling water on the BBQ.

Ideally, you would have two Bluetti units.  One in use and one being charged via the solar array.  But it is likely the fridge will drain the first unit before the second one is fully charged.  You could add a second set of panels or a third Bluetti, but then you lose your portability.

I hope this helps.

k