POWER TIPS FOR NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH

Ways to Ensure the Lights Stay On

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- September is National Preparedness Month so that means it's time to put plans in place to handle power outages. America's demand for energy continues to rise, putting additional strain on an aging power grid infrastructure. Taking steps now to create more energy independence can make homeowners and businesses more resilient during power outages.

Throughout the summer of 2023, prolonged heat domes covered large swaths of the country, driving up electricity demand and prices. There were also tornadoes, severe rainstorms, hurricanes and wildfires that knocked out power for millions. 

"Electricity is something most of us take for granted until we don't have it and then we realize how much we rely on it for nearly every element of daily life," says Josh Cirillo, senior product manager with Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions. "Every day, we work with people who've had enough of the uncertainty and unpredictability and are ready to take control of their energy situation."

Two products that can help deliver peace of mind, along with energy resilience and efficiency, are home standby generators and battery storage systems.

Standby Generators

Standby generators are permanently installed outside a home or business and are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas. When there's an outage, they automatically kick in to deliver power. 

Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions offers a full range of PowerProtect^™ standby generators to meet a variety of homeowner and business needs. The PowerProtect line includes the industry's most powerful residential home standby generators on the market, delivering consumers more power for their money.¹

The Briggs & Stratton^® 12kW² model is an upright unit that boasts an ultra-compact footprint and is ideal for small and mid-sized homes and businesses. In fact, the 12kW is more than 30% smaller than its nearest competitor².

The 26kW³ unit can power a whole house through an outage. The company also offers 17kW and 20kW units that can handle the energy requirements of mid-sized to large homes.

All PowerProtect units have a commercial-grade Briggs & Stratton Vanguard^® engine that's built to run continuously for days on end in the toughest environments. The full line of Briggs & Stratton^® standby generators is equipped with the industry's most comprehensive warranty.⁴

Since standby generators require professional installation, it's best to add a unit before storm season hits.

Battery Storage Systems

In addition to standby generators, Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions makes SimpliPHI^Ⓡ Energy Storage Systems with lithium ferro phosphate (LFP) batteries – a non-toxic battery technology that is less prone to thermal runaway events. Homeowners can choose between the continuous, unlimited runtime capacity of a generator or the silent, immediate temporary backup power of a battery storage system.

The batteries capture and store energy generated by solar panels, wind turbines, generators or the grid. Homeowners and businesses can then tap into the stored power whenever they want.

Battery storage systems are extremely versatile and can be used for both short- and long-term energy needs.

In the short term, they can provide backup power when the grid goes down. In the long term, they can reduce energy costs.

As part of a long-term, money-saving approach, homeowners can decide to use stored power from their batteries throughout the day or during the evening when many electric companies charge more. In some cases, homeowners can sell their extra power back to the utility for credit on their bill or to eliminate a monthly charge altogether.

Better yet, when paired with solar or other energy-generating systems, battery storage can help homeowners go completely off the grid and become energy independent.

Home battery storage systems continue to come down in price and now qualify for a 30% tax credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. In addition, many states have incentives to make battery storage more affordable.

With 115 years of company experience in power generation, Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions is positioned to meet the evolving energy needs of today's homeowners and business owners.

For more information on home standby generators and battery storage, visit  briggsandstratton.com.

About Briggs & Stratton

Briggs & Stratton, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provides innovative products and diverse power solutions to help people get work done. Briggs & Stratton is the world's largest producer of engines for outdoor power equipment and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of lithium-ion batteries, standby generators, energy storage systems, lawn and garden, turf care and job site products through its Briggs & Stratton®, Vanguard®, Ferris®, Simplicity®, Snapper®, Billy Goat®, Allmand®, SimpliPhi®, Branco® and Victa® brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in more than 100 countries on six continents.

Legal Disclaimers

1. Based on natural gas power output ratings.

2. This generator is rated in accordance with UL (Underwriters Laboratories) 2200 (stationary engine generator assemblies) and CSA (Canadian Standards Association) standard C22.2 No. 100-14 (motor and generators). power applications.

3. 30% smaller footprint than competitors in its named class.

4. Most comprehensive warranty over time.

SOURCE Briggs & Stratton