With extreme weather events and wildfires on the rise, Oregonians are facing a greater threat of power outages than ever. Outages can be inconvenient and costly, disrupting work at home, spoiling food and leaving your family without essential services.
It’s no wonder more homeowners are thinking about energy resilience and looking for backup power they can count on. While portable generators powered by propane or gasoline might seem like a simple option, solar plus battery storage can do much more. In addition to helping keep your home running during outages, solar + storage is a cleaner, quieter, more convenient alternative that offers value year-round.
Clean energy, less pollution
Solar panels produce clean, renewable energy to power your home and charge battery storage. There are no fumes or exhaust like with portable generators.
Quieter
Portable generators continuously produce noise at 50 to 100 decibels, which means they can be as loud as a vacuum cleaner, lawnmower or heavy traffic. In contrast, solar panels are silent and solar batteries are nearly so (you might notice slight sounds from the inverter or fan, similar to the hum of a refrigerator).
Safer for your family
Portable generators, powered by fossil fuels, pose the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning if not carefully placed outdoors, far from windows and doors. In fact, according to the U.S. Product Safety Commission, about 85 people are killed every year by CO poisoning from portable generators. Solar + storage delivers backup power without combustion, fuel supply or exhaust concerns.
Backup power without the hassle
If there’s a power outage in your area, your home will automatically disconnect from the grid and begin drawing on your solar + storage system. There are no hassles with setting up a generator, refueling or starting it manually.
A portable generator may run out of fuel before your power is restored, and during storms or emergencies it may be difficult for you to get more fuel. But with solar + storage, your solar panels recharge the batteries daily.
Flexibility for greater backup
With solar + storage, you choose which items you want to back up in your home, such as your lights, refrigerator or computer. Or, for even greater peace of mind, you can increase the number of batteries to provide whole-home backup.
| Feature | Solar + Storage | Portable Generator |
|---|---|---|
| Backup Power | ✓ | ✓ |
| Automatic Operation | ✓ | No |
| Fuel Required | No | ✓ |
| Carbon Monoxide Risk | No | ✓ |
| Noisy | No | ✓ |
| Lowers Energy Bills | ✓ | No |
| Renewable Energy | ✓ | No |
| Provides Value Every Day | ✓ | No |
What about cost?
It’s true that solar + storage will cost more up front than a portable generator. However, generators require ongoing fuel purchases and maintenance while providing value only during outages; most of the time they sit unused in your garage.
Solar + storage, on the other hand, provides seamless backup power when you need it and clean, renewable energy year-round—shielding you from rising energy costs. The average solar household in Oregon saves about $1,500 to $1,900 or more annually on electricity bills (savings will vary based on your circumstances). Plus, you might be able to take advantage of special utility rate plans or battery reward programs to save even more money.
As a customer of Portland General Electric or Pacific Power, you can qualify for Energy Trust of Oregon cash incentives that reduce your cost of adding solar and battery storage. Income-qualified homeowners can apply for Solar Within Reach increased incentive amounts.
Wondering about solar + storage? Get a free, no-risk bid
If you would like to know if solar + storage is right for your home, request a free bid. We will pair you with Energy Trust solar trade allies who can provide a free customized assessment of your home’s backup power needs, an estimate on how much you can save on energy bills with solar and answer questions. They can also connect you with Energy Trust cash incentives to help lower your costs.