As is evident from the name, Electrical Generators
are typically used to provide electricity during power outages (e.g., during
storms, emergencies, and related disaster-relief operations) or in off-grid
situations or areas where there is no access to a built-in power source (e.g.,
on construction sites, on camping trips, or at outdoor events—for concert
stages, food booths, etc.). So, in a nutshell, they’re mostly used for
temporary, portable/mobile, back-up, or remote power needs. Generators are
especially critical for some farms, to keep well pumps running (during power
outages) to be able to continue to get water to livestock or crops.
Conventional generators like Diesel
Generators and gas generators have a number of downsides. They require
gasoline (or diesel fuel), which can be expensive — especially during
emergencies, when there can also be gas shortages. The emissions from
gas-powered generators also contribute to air pollution and climate change, and
they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning when placed inside a home or building,
or too close to doors, windows, or vents on the outside of a building.
Furthermore, gas generators are very loud. This is equally true for both New Diesel
Generators as well as Used
Diesel Generators, though the new models from the likes of F G
Wilson Generators or Perkins Generators
are showing signs of appreciable environment awareness.
Solar generators provide a smart,
silent, safe, and clean alternative that uses renewable energy (no fuel = no
emissions), and there are a number of products available to choose from these days.
(Biodiesel or hybrid generators are other options to consider.)
Small-Scale,
Compact Units
These solar generators are designed
to provide a modest amount of electricity for temporary, emergency, or low-use
power needs. The smallest units can easily charge gadgets and power lights, but
do not have the capacity to run large, power-hungry equipment or appliances
(e.g., refrigerators or heaters) for more than a short time. (For example, a
1500-watt unit can generally only run a small space heater for up to 2 hours or
so at night, when the unit is not being recharged by the sun.) The average
price among these compact options is somewhere around $3,000-4,000 (as of late
2012), though some are less expensive, and the prices could change
significantly in coming months and years. The cost of solar panels continues to
go down, while new battery technologies are evolving rapidly.
Larger
Systems
Some of these are intended for use
on construction job sites or public works projects. Most are mounted on
trailers that can be towed. While many of these generators are meant for
commercial/industrial uses, some could also potentially be used to power an
entire off-grid homestead.
Some companies offer hybrid systems
that allow for back-up generation using biodiesel (or regular diesel or gas),
if solar power is not providing adequate energy for a user’s needs.
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