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Best Solar Generator For Emergencies

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After I survived the Texas Freeze / Snowpocalypse / Texas Power Outages, I knew I needed to get a freaking generator! I have been researching these for a while, but never bought one. I started doing more in-depth research and here is I have found are the best generators for people that want some kind of backup power during outages or emergencies. These are the best generators for emergencies that I have found so far.

Best Solar Generators for Emergencies

I honestly prefer solar over gas generators because they just seem cleaner and easier to operate. However solar generators are not as powerful as gas generators and they do have some other drawbacks. Here is a list of pros and cons for Solar Generators:

Solar Generator Pros:

  • Uses the sun – (free energy)
  • You can charge them ahead of time
  • No need to buy gas, you won’t run out of fuel
  • Cleaner and healthier
  • You can use them in your house, you don’t have to worry about Carbon Monoxide poisoning
  • No loud noise

Solar Generator Cons:

  • Costs more for the power produced
  • Solar panels are bulky – may need more storage space
  • If it is cloudy or raining, they do not produce as much energy

What to know when shopping for Solar Generators:

The main things to look at when you are shopping for solar generators is the Wattage (W) and the Watt Hours (Wh). The wattage (w) will tell you how much power the generator can handle. You can add up the wattages for all of your devices using the table below to find out how much generator wattage you will need. But keep in mind you will only need the wattage for the devices plugged in simultaneously.
The watt hours tells you how long the generator will last. A 2000wh generator will last longer than a 1000wh generator. The generator is basically a battery and the wh is the battery capacity. 
If you want to get really specific, you can calculate how long your generator will run based on the wattage that is being used. For example the Jackery Solar Generator Explorer 1000 is a 1000w/1002wh generator. Their listing states that the generator working time is .85 * 1002wh. So if you are using a device that takes 1 watt, it will run for approximately 850 hours. If you are running a 60watt tv, it will run for 14 hours. To figure out how long your generator will run, use this formula:

(WattHours (wh) of the generator  * .85) / (total wattage being used) = hours

Here is another example. If you want to run a 900w electric grill on a 1000w/1002wh generator, it will run for about 1 hour before it dies and needs to be recharged. 

Utility Hacker

The utility hacker is passionate about saving people money on their utility bills and protecting the environment. I was a utility bill auditor in Texas for 10 years. I am sharing my knowledge to help people survive the crazy utility industry that we live in today.