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Asking for opinions on this backup power supply
jimdeere
Member, Moderator Posts: 25,689 ******
My stepdaughter bought one of these for her sister that lives in a remote area.
https://4patriots.com/products/patriot-power-generator-1800
I?m a little skeptical, but the reviews seem positive. Sister is mechanically challenged and can?t manage a Gas generator too well.
This unit seems like it would give her some lights and maybe run the refrigerator a while.
https://4patriots.com/products/patriot-power-generator-1800
I?m a little skeptical, but the reviews seem positive. Sister is mechanically challenged and can?t manage a Gas generator too well.
This unit seems like it would give her some lights and maybe run the refrigerator a while.
Comments
One of the reviews is written like a ticked off customer describing poor customer service, but gave them 5 stars. Seems fishy.
However, they do say this:
Your Patriot Power Generator is protected by a no-questions asked, 100% satisfaction guarantee. Try your generator in your home for a full year. Put it to the test! Charge it up and drain it down. Get to know your generator and what it can do for you. If it doesn't do everything we said it does or if you're unsatisfied for any reason, return it. You?ll get your money back, no questions asked.
You mentioned lights, this isn't something one would probably wire into the breaker panel. But, if you are referring to lamps and such with a power cord then I'd think it'd be fine, especially with newer LED or CCFL's. If it has the power they advertise, then there'd be no issues running those.
I see two potential issues. One is the solar unit looks a little flimsy and I could see it being top heavy so it may blow over in the wind. Second, if the first one is true, then will this be available when it is needed or will the battery be discharged?
About gas generators, what is it she can't handle? Starting it? I ask because there are relatively inexpensive ones now that have a starter. Most people get a way bigger generator than needed. That by itself isn't a problem, but then a lot end up in a situation where they can't start it, and struggle to even move it. I have an old 4500 watt B&S generator and I can run fridge, freezer, a few lamps and if needed, the fan on my fireplace insert. I also run my CPAP through it, but I have a battery backup connected to the generator, then it is plugged in behind that. The reason is that I don't feel it is good clean power that a lot of sensitive electronics need. Things like laptops, phones, etc all should have good clean power. 98% of the time, I grab this generator even though I have an electric start 15k. It is almost too big for me to move around. I also don't have the panel wired yet for generator. That one can put out ~110 amps. That is overkill for simple things like mentioned above.
The 100 watt solar panels are the source of power- Assume winter months you get 80% of that for 8 hours a day. That gives you 640 watts of power- for one hour. Except that is DC power, and you are pushing it through an inverter to get AC. THAT itself eats some electricity. Lets be generous, call it 5%, so you have 608 watt hours. Not a lot.
We are in the country. We lose power due to ice storms in winter, hurricanes in summer. Have a 6000 watt generator. Also have a 2500 watt inverter- hooked to 4 ea 155 amp hr batteries (from my fishing boat). Gives us right at 6,000 watts for one hour. I can charge those from the generator when it is running. When generator is off, I can run SOME LED lights, run the fridge for 30 minutes to chill down, etc. Anything with a motor or heating element gobbles watts.
Not knocking this particular product, but for $2 grand I can buy a nice electric start generator, extension cords and a gas can- have a lot on money left. Just have seen a lot of folks that thought there was free energy in solar, wind, small scale hydro. There IS power, not free, not as much power as you think.
If used for outages, the lull between outages allows more time for charging (less panels than on an active system) but there would need to be a substantial bank of batteries.
This will charge her phone...for 50 bucks. Where ever she goes
https://www.nekteck.com/product/nekteck-20w-solar-charger-with-2-port-usb-charger-build-with-high-efficiency-solar-panel-cell-for-all-usb-device/
find the parts cheaper and better quality if you assemble it yourself. Lithium battery is a great weight saver too!
serf
CAUTION: When thinking about how long a battery will last,, think every kind of battery EXCEPT lithium ion (and they MAY have limitations) can only be discharged to 50%, go beyond that and unless you have something "special" that is the most mfgs recommend discharging the battery w/o seriously losing battery life. HOWEVER Lithium ion can be discharged to say 10% or some zero and it won't hurt the system. The best brands can do 5000 cycles with almost ZERO loss of capacity. ie; usable 100 amp hour unit might only do 80 % after 5000 cycles or maybe more or maybe less.
So 100 Amp Hours of most battery technology is actually 50 Amp hours usable. Keep this is mind because:
Lithium Ion batteries are EXPENSIVE, really expensive. ie: The best brand TODAY is Battle Born I've read are capable of 5000/10,000 discharge cycles w/o more than normal loss of capacity (10%) ION battery COSTs $1000 for 100 Amp Hours.
This company pretty much "specializes" in LiFePO4 Deep Cycle Batteries and after reading about them and seeing them on Youtube Videos by their customers makes me believe they are first class when it comes to helping their customers and NO BS warranty.
https://battlebornbatteries.com/
A 100 watt solar system is OK but you won't power much past lights / fans directly from panels. You can power 1000 Watt + items BUT the solar panels need to be attached to a Solar panels and the panels are wired to a "special" charger.
I think the Patriot system is fairly popular and have not seen a "bad" system review. The solar systems are rapidly replacing "generators" on camper vans, travel trailers, and larger motor homes,, also very popular on boats.
Youtube is "full" of solar information by "USERS". Some are advanced hobbyists, solar panel panel reviews etc.
This guy seems to have an excellent grasp of systems, must be older than he looks. Actually the following video should put you well ahead of the curve to understanding systems.
HIS HOME PAGE:
https://www.youtube.com/user/errolprowse (when you know what this guy knows you should be GURU class.)
Remember solar panels store electricity to solar "banks" (batteries) batteries power devices via: DC/AC inverters or directly from the fuse panel to 12 v devices. (like your car). 200/300 watts is about all you need to run stuff in a off grid cabin.
Spread over more than 25 square kilometres, the Longyangxia Dam Solar Park consists of 4 million solar panels. The plant's sheer size and 850 megawatts capacity made it the largest solar farm in the world in February 2017.
Four(4) Million Panels :shock: Main Power ??? says this solar farm will power 200,000 homes, not bad 20 panels per home.
https://www.alternative-energies.net/longyangxia-dam-solar-park-in-china-is-now-the-biggest-solar-farm-in-the-world/
So, you've got ONE 100w panel,,,,,, got to start somewhere. :twisted:
This. There is no way a small solar panel like that can keep up for several days at a time and keep a 'fridge/freezer cold, etc. A few hours, once a week/month? Sure. But that panel will need multiple days to recover from that kind of draw. Just lights and fans? Maybe, depending.
Having been unprepared for extended power outage until too late and with a baby in the house, I improvised quite well using a 2kw inverter from the car stereo place (walmart should have 'em $50-60ish unless a storm hit in the past 48 hours...) hooked up to my riding lawn mower. Ran extension cord inside through dryer vent and was able to power fridge, a low wattage fan and tv/satellite at once, or disconnect fridge and add desktop computer and DSL service (until the gensets at the big grey boxes down the road ran out of gas 72 hours in). Could even disconnect all of it and run the microwave.
After seeing the price,...........YEP, a rip off!
Would be much better off with a small generator that she can run things inside with an extension cord.
I paid $890 for my 10000/8000 watt Generac Generator with 8 gallon tank and electric start. Think I paid 700-800 for the parts and electrician to wire in my outside plug and lock out switch. That thing with a minor amount of planning can power my whole house. It may be a little unwieldy for a lone woman too handle but not a big deal for me, even in winter with deep snow my plan is to use my little tractor to move it into place.
I'm not suggesting she get one like mine but just saying, like many others here, that there are far better options out there for probably much less than $2000.