Home generators play an important role in keeping homes comfortable and functional during blackouts, severe storms, and other events that can leave you without power for anywhere from a few hours to several days. Over the decades, generators have become even more advanced, and some of them can even detect outages, which means you don’t have to head outside and fire up the system.
Homes today require more from their power grids than homes in the past. Thanks to smart-home technology and other appliances and systems, having functional power has never been more important, and generators are keeping pace with those changes. Whether you’re planning to replace an old generator or you’ve been toughing it out without one for years, knowing what you can expect from the generators of the future can help you make a smarter choice.
Generators Are Already Getting Smart
One of the biggest changes in the world of generators is the move toward smart generators, which rely on the same connectivity that your smart locks, lights, and thermostat use. However, modern generators don’t simply wait for you to check in on them from your phone. Instead, they send information to your mobile device, giving you a two-way stream of information that keeps you more informed about what your generator is doing and what it needs from you. Some of the more advanced models even give you insight into detailed analytics, including fuel usage.
Pairing Generators With Battery Storage
Contrary to what you may have assumed, generators and battery energy storage don’t have to compete with each other. In some modern generator systems, the two technologies work hand in hand.
Battery backups might be able to handle short-term power outages, while generators offer long-lasting energy backup for those situations where a storm knocks out the power for days at a time. By combining battery backup and generators, you might get more control over how your backup power sources are managed and how well they work together.
Harnessing Solar Power
If you don’t want to spend half your time monitoring fuel levels and running to the gas station for another can of fuel, you might want to tap into solar power. Solar energy can generate electricity during normal operation, while battery storage can preserve some of that energy for later use. Taking this approach has the potential to be a game-changer because the generator becomes a backup that only kicks into action when solar power and battery storage aren’t enough to power everything in your home.
The days of having to pour gas into a generator and pull a cord to make it kick on are over, at least if you want them to be. Thanks to the major changes in modern generators, keeping your lights on can be even easier than you ever thought was possible. If you live in Temple, TX or a surrounding area and need generator services, make your first call to Amos Home Services.
