One piece of equipment that is becoming more and more of a necessity in homes especially in the area of emergency preparedness and productivity continuity measures. With backup power systems, homes are assured of power sources that help ensure that essential aspects of the home life keep functioning as they should. This is certainly a good thing to have for any household because they will have the chance to retain some sort of normalcy even when the rest of the neighborhood (or the city for that matter) is plunged into a power blackout. This is also essential if your home is a significant element in your economic viability and serves as a base for self-employment or business (as in the case for home-based workers and consultants who maintain home offices). If so, a backup or secondary power generation protocol is certainly a must-have.
Home owners who are making voluntary efforts to reduce their household’s carbon footprint may think twice about implementing a suitable backup power thinking that the power generators are gas-guzzling air polluters. They are, of course, mistaken as modern innovations have produced some nifty systems that not only produce ample backup electrical supply for residential use, they are also considered green because they either produce absolutely no greenhouse gases or they produce them in significantly lower amounts so as to be considered earth-friendly.
Propane Power Generators
Some of the best options you have in implementing a green backup electrical power system are propane generators. Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), is actually a by-product of the refining process done on petroleum and natural gas and is one of the most common fossil fuels used in the United States. It is a pretty common fuel used in automobiles, heating and cooking systems but one of its underrated applications is in the field of electrical power generation.
Propane electrical generators are an ideal system for residential backup power because of its clean-burning properties. According to www.PropaneCouncil.org, a site dedicated to the providing information on the positive properties of propane, this fuel can be considered environmentally friendly because it produces significantly less carbon emissions compared to gasoline-powered systems. It is also non-toxic and is easy to handle and entails lesser refuelling hazards since it usually comes in cylinders or tanks or are stored in tanks that are buried under the ground.
If you are looking to power your whole house, you may need to go for units with at least 10 kilowatts power output. It is advisable, for the sake of economy and reducing your carbon footprint, not to do this and instead go for smaller generator units with the intention of providing backup power only for select areas of the home deemed to be essential. Lighting, refrigeration, heating and your trade tools (computers, printers, etc.) should be prioritized.
Solar Power Generators
If you want something that produces zero greenhouse gases of any sort then the best and most readily available are solar generators. These contraptions work by using solar cell panels to charge batteries that can provide usable electricity. Like propane generators, they also come in many different sizes and power scales. From small portable units like the nifty Humless solar-powered generator suitable for portable lighting systems and small electrical devices (laptops, communication devices, etc.) to huge whole house systems that may require professional installation. Aside from being 100% carbon emission-free, this option is also 100% noise-free which is a good thing when we are talking about power generators for use in residential areas.
The author is an outdoor-lover who maintains a site about portable power generators. If you wish to find out about how to choose environmentally-friendly electrical generator equipment for recreational, residential and business use, please check out www.SilentGenerator.net.
