Back up Power

Generally, we are told to be able to maintain ourselves for approximately 72 hours in an emergency. This number, however, is highly suspect and is likely to vary significantly depending on where you live. Let’s look at some basic examples:

  • Fiona – average restoration was about 100 hours or about 4 days. The Eastern Shore Nova Scotia’s average restoration was 5.22 days and the longest restoration was 6.18 days.
  • Feb 2022 Winter Storm: over three days during winter.

This isn’t to pick on NS Power. What’s being said is that 72 hours is used as a number for a wide audience and often coastal communities face challenges that can take us past that 72 hours.

Step 1 – Do You Need Backup Power?

If you have electrical appliances or infrastructure that will run into problems over the time periods above, then having some form of backup power may well be worth it. Personally, I would strongly consider it, if I had any one or more of the following:

  1. heat pump
  2. sump pump
  3. septic pump
  4. well pump
  5. any medical devices that required a stable power supply for more than a few hours.
  6. any need to maintain communications or internet connectivity (such as a work-from-home) arrangement.
  7. Freezers or something similar where you need to store food.

This is going to be even more of an issue as me move closer to plug-in vehicles (like electric cars). This is because the loss of power may result in a loss of shelter as well as a loss of transportation if the car cannot be charged.

Illustrative flowchart

This is informative only. Your choice would be guided by your own circumstances and local costs.

Step 2 – Engage a Trusted Electrician Early

Electrical services need to be handled a certain way for several reasons.The obvious issue involves fire hazards. Some less obvious issues involve being able to maintain your insurance coverage. Without belabouring the point, engage your electrician early to work through the details. You will want to have some of your own expectations lined up first, including:

  1. What needs to run? Consider things like sump pumps, well pumps, septic pumps, water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, heat pumps, and so on. Don’t just consider the base essentials, include those things that will help you get through the disruption.
  2. How long of a disruption can you handle? Standby generators may kick in after a few seconds, portable generators (requiring you to hook up, start the generator, etc.) may take several minutes.
  3. How much effort can you handle in starting things? This includes pull-starting the generator, digging around for cables, hooking up in potentially bad weather, etc.
  4. How long do you need it to run for? Fuel consumption and availability factors heavily here. A standby generator may have a fairly significant fuel source attached to it whereas a portable generator may run for about 8 hours or so on a tank of gas. Remember that the generator requires fuel. How easy is it to get fuel to the generator–does it involve a run to a gas station or placing orders for propane delivery?
  5. How much discipline and effort can you maintain in terms of doing monthly start ups (to keep the engine working properly), oil changes, and so forth?
  6. Are there other things (like solar panels) that may affect the system design?

These questions will simplify the conversation with the electrician. Remember, a backup generator may involve an investment that lasts 15 years to 20 years (depending on many factors).

Some Sources to Help in Calculating

Some tools to help guide your thinking:

Please note that these are informational. While I personally have a Kohler generator, we don’t endorse products here. These are just tools that may help through the sizing process.

Like you wouldn’t run your car at its maximum speed, you don’t want to run a generator at its maximum RPM (rotations per minute). Check with the electrician what the generator should run at to be efficient.This will help with fuel efficiency and with reducing wear and tear on the equipment.

Step 3 – Get the System Design

When talking with the electrician, think of your system consisting of the following:

  1. The generator itself.
  2. The hook up to the house and transfer switch.
  3. The panels (you may end up with a second panel).
  4. Surge protection.

I put the last piece in given the possibility of surges causing damage, particularly to sensitive electronic equipment. Part of this can be offset by power powers that are rated to handle surges. Most Uninterruptible Power Supplies now include built in surge protection. That being said, having that protection around the “whole home” just reduces the risks associated with the surge making it to the stuff that burns out.

The image below provides one option. This may be used to help guide the electrician’s thinking, but they may want to make adjustments due to better practices or Code requirements.

Step 4 – Layers of Protection

Your goal here is to maintain a reliable supply of usable power so you can do whatever it is you do. The generator is one piece of that puzzle. Two options present themselves here. You can work from where power connects to the house and work inwards or you can work outwards from the various appliances that you want to protect. Personally, I find it easier to work from the house inwards.

Layer 1 – Power supply: this is covered off by the grid and the generator.

Layer 2 – Whole Home power surge protection. The electrician will be able to help with ratings and what kind. Note that these may need replacement after significant storms or every few years.

Layer 3 – Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) that are essentially battery backups that also have surge protection built it. For modems, switches, and other computer equipment, this preserves functionality during the four to seven seconds it can take for the backup generator to kick in.

Layer 4 – Surge Protectors built into power bars. These can help protect some appliances (note that some appliances require more power than the power bar can provide so check this).

All this being said, this can give you a degree of comfort but understand that no system is perfect. Disconnecting sensitive devices during severe storms may still be wise.

This, obviously, addresses those tied to the grid. We are quickly approaching the point where off-grid may be just as reliable as being tied to the grid. If considering this option, definitely do your homework but also consider that one kind of generating capability may leave you vulnerable to issues of under-supply. Consider primary and secondary sources (such as solar and wind, solar and water).

Step 5 – Maintenance and Life Cycle Management

While purchasing a generator of whatever type seems daunting, the second challenge involves upkeep and maintenance. With whole-home generators, you could be looking at a few hundred dollars per year for maintenance costs.

Portable generators usually require you to do your own maintenance. This saves on technicians and may leave you out of pocket for filters, spark plugs, and oil. What you save in dollars you will make up for in effort.

All told, you should prepare for the following:

  1. the cost of the generator and any financing that you incur. Costs will vary significantly depending on what you purchase and the amount of financing).
  2. the cost of any maintenance plans. Annual plans can run $400-$600 per year for a certified technician to run diagnostics, change fluids and filters, change plugs, etc.
  3. the cost of any materials needed to run the generator. You will likely want to use a synthetic oil and keep a few litres on hand, just in case.

Other Options

Whole home generators are not the only option, neither are portable generators. Battery backup power sources provide another option. These involve batteries that store significant amounts of power (enough for the home) that then kick in when power disruptions occur. Like everything, take the time to do research. Does the battery backup increase your power usage (meaning a cost to you) and then how is it used after? This can only really be answered by the power provider but what you want to ensure is that (at a minimum) if you’re being billed to “charge” the battery, lower rates apply. Also look to see if your battery might be called upon as part of a “grid response” and what that means.