How to Power Your Home Sustainably

Beryl came in strong and early this summer, and it caused massive damage to our favorite Texas Beach, Surfside. We’re so sad because this is where we’ve spent so many summer vacations with family and friends. Houston took a beating, too. As I write this, there are people without power a week and a half since the storm blew through.

Many people on the Texas coast have installed home generators because this type of event is simply part of living near the Gulf Coast. But what if those generators run out of fuel? Or what if you want to practice sustainable survival? Solar hasn’t really been a practical option in the past, but now there’s a generator that can actually support the aftermath of a hurricane.|

Jackery generators are not the absolute solution but they’re pretty impressive! Starting around $2000.00, one of these solar generators can help keep your home running until you have reliable electricity. The 2000 watt model can run a refrigerator for about 3 hours, so you’ll need to cycle between cooling and charging. But it’s also possible to add batteries to the unit to increase capacity. Keep in mind that during the day, when the sun is shining, the unit will be in continuous charge mode, but once the sun goes down, you have to make due with what is stored in the batteries.

I know solar generators are still not at the level of gas or propane powered machines, but if sustainability and power reliability (situations where fuel is unavailable) are important to you, these generators are a good option. The more solar panels you have, the faster this thing will charge, and the bigger you go, the more run time you have for cooling food and cooling yourself!

Even traditional generators come with a level of conservation. Fuel is finite. Unlike the electrical grid (which we rely on to run continuously), all other power sources require some kind of charging element. Fuel is more dependable for running whole houses, but solar lasts long after the propane has run out.

In the long run, a solar generator will be more economical. A 2000 watt gasoline machine, that runs on gas, needs about 4 gallons a day to run steady, or you’ll get 6 hours out of a gallon. Certainly, there are more economical and efficient models, but in the long run, you’re still buying fuel for a generator you’ve owned for years while getting free fuel from the sun with your solar generator.

So to answer the question, “Is a solar powered generator worth it?” In the long run, yes. It won’t run your house completely, but it will sustain your home until power is restored. You’ll have to practice sustainability and even some “off grid” planning, but it is possible to cool off, keep phones and computers charged and even save refrigerated food. The power may not be continuous, but it will be enough to sustain. So that’s the question you want to ask yourself. Do you want to sustain or do you want full creature comforts? Neither is a full guarantee, but solar probably has the better longevity when power is out for long periods of time. Plus the sun usually shines after a hurricane. You’ll have power; just not full house power.