Key Questions To Ask Before You Buy A Portable Solar Generator
If you want to buy an emergency generator to cover power outages in your home, then you don't have to buy products that use regular fuel. You can buy portable solar energy generators instead.
Solar generators have a lot of benefits. For example, your fuel is free, and you can usually use these generators indoors as they don't give out harmful emissions. However, before you choose a generator, you need to make sure that your final choice meets your power needs. What do you need to know?
How Much Power Can the Generator Provide?
Solar generators have a watts capacity. This is called either the running or rated watts measurement. This measurement basically tells you how much power the generator can provide at one time when its battery is charged.
This figure is important. If you buy a generator with a lower capacity than you need, then it won't be able to power all your appliances and devices. So, you need to do some calculations before you pick a product.
Think about the essential items that the generator will power in an outage. Every electrical appliance or system has its own wattage figure. This tells you how much power the item needs to run.
Once you have these figures, add them together to get your total wattage. You basically need to buy a generator with a wattage that is higher than your total. A generator with a higher wattage than your current needs will cover anything you've forgotten or anything you add to your home later.
How Long Does the Battery Last?
Solar generators also come with a time measurement in hours. This measurement helps you figure out how long the generator can give you the power you need before its battery runs low.
So, for example, if you buy a generator with a 500 watt-hour capacity, then the generator can run items that total this wattage for an hour. If you only need 250 watts of power, then the generator will work for two hours.
Again, your wattage total helps you work out the time capacity you need. You should look for a model that exceeds your total. Even though you might be able to charge the generator when it is in use, you don't have any guarantees that this will work all the time. For example, you can't charge a solar generator at night or during a storm.
For more help, contact portable solar generator suppliers, like Tier 1 Solar.