Three Types of Backup Power to Help Homeowners Prepare for Outages

WAUKESHA, Wis., Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Making the home a sanctuary from natural disasters and weather is what Generac^Ⓡ Power Systems (NYSE: GNRC) is reminding everyone to do this National Preparedness Month, which lasts until September 30.

"This year has made it clearer than ever that our homes need to be offices, schools, and shelters," said Russ Minick, chief marketing officer at Generac. "In today's environment, losing power could mean losing work, missing school exams, or even being unsafe; and that means backup power is a critical element of being prepared."

September is not only National Preparedness Month, it's also the height of hurricane and wildfire season: Two major causes of power outages in the United States and major incentives to invest in backup power. There are three categories of backup power for homeowners to consider. Portable generators are the least expensive but have limited utility to power homes. Home Standby Generators (HSB) are permanently installed, automatic, run on natural gas or propane, and are capable of powering any size home. Solar + Storage systems use batteries and for the first time, are now capable of backing up entire homes.

Portable Generators
A portable generator is the point of entry for home energy preparedness and resiliency. Generac's GP-, iQ-, and XC- series of generators are available in sizes from 2000 watts to 17,500 watts; large enough to power the circuits for most large appliances. These generators run on gasoline and must be manually operated during an outage event. Safety must always be considered when using a portable generator, says Michael Moriarty, director of portable generator product management for Generac. "We've developed great technologies like CO-Sense to help owners stay safe. But all portable generators are instructed to be operated far away from buildings and never near any open windows, doors, or air intakes."

Generac's CO-sense equipped generators detect rising levels of harmful carbon monoxide and shut the generator off automatically if approaching unsafe levels. This safety technology is available on GP6500 and GP8000 models through retailers nationwide. With the Portable Generator Manufacturers Association, Generac supports the "Take it Outside" safety campaign through its dedication to educating consumers on the safe use of portable generators. CO-Sense has been a big step forward in providing homeowners greater peace of mind.

For added functionality and safety, portable generator owners may have a Generac manual transfer switch professionally installed. This technology is installed easily by a certified electrician and allows users to connect their portable generator to their home electrical system safely, then manually switch over to generator power when needed.

Home Standby Generators
The ideal option for complete home backup power is a home standby generator. A permanently installed Generac home backup generator protects the home automatically when grid power is interrupted. It runs on natural gas or liquid propane (LP) fuel, and sits outside like a central air conditioning unit. A home backup generator delivers power directly to your home's electrical system, backing up your entire home or just the most essential items.

"Customers are telling us that with working from home, schooling from home, shopping from home, and entertaining from home, their level of anxiety about a power outage was very high," said Aaron Jagdfeld, president and CEO of Generac. "Having a home standby generator to ensure that they can safely shelter in place with their families should a power outage occur made this a must have item for many homeowners."

Generac Guardian-series home standby generators feature reliable Generac engines, designed and engineered in the U.S. And each is equipped with the remote monitoring capability of Mobile Link™, allowing owners to monitor the status of their generator on a phone, tablet or computer from anywhere in the world.

Solar + Storage
Solar + storage systems designed to harness the power of the sun and store that energy for use later are increasing in popularity. The favorable economics of solar and batteries coupled with the increasing need for protection against power grid disruptions is giving homeowners a new option for backup power.

It is critical that all homeowners have a plan for extended power outages. With the new, PWRcell automatic transfer switch (ATS), whole-home solar power can now be a reality. During a power outage, the PWRcell ATS disconnects from the grid, allowing the whole home to be isolated as electricity can be routed from the battery supply and/or solar array to the home's electrical panel. Because this integrated Generac system protects the entire home, the need to move or transfer circuits to a separate sub-panel can be eliminated, reducing electrical complexities.

The Generac PWRcell system integrates solar power generation with smart battery storage using a single, powerful inverter. When the grid goes down, this system picks up the load and restores power in seconds. 

Power outages are on the rise
The United States' aging power grid is tested every season, from hurricanes to power shut-off events to winter storms, putting homeowners in a defensive position. Knowing preparedness is key to resilience, Generac has also developed an online tool that tracks power outages from across the U.S. and Canada that allows visitors to drill down to the utility-provider level and see how many people are being impacted. Power Outage Central also acts as a resource that aims to help homeowners take action in a power outage.

MEDIA CONTACT: Ashley Kast: [email protected] | 608-633-2404

About Generac
Generac Power Systems, Inc. (NYSE: GNRC) is a leading global supplier of backup power and prime power products, systems, engine-powered tools, and solar energy storage systems. In 1959, our founder was committed to designing, engineering and manufacturing the first affordable backup generator. More than 60 years later, that dedication to innovation, durability and excellence has resulted in the company's ability to expand its industry-leading product portfolio into homes and small businesses, on job sites, and in industrial and mobile applications across the globe. Generac offers single engine backup and prime power systems up to 2 MW and paralleled solutions up to 100 MW, and uses a variety of fuel sources to support power needs for our customers. Generac hosts Power Outage Central, the definitive source of U.S. power outage data, at Generac.com/poweroutagecentral. For more information about Generac and its products and services, visit Generac.com.

SOURCE Generac Power Systems, Inc.

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