On this page
| Option | Installed cost | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Standby generator | $9,000 – $18,000 | Automatic start, unlimited runtime on gas |
| Portable plus interlock | $1,500 – $4,500 | Manual start and refueling every few hours |
| Home battery (Powerwall-class) | $12,000 – $16,000 | Silent, instant, limited duration, pairs with solar |
The three-way comparison
These three options solve the same problem in very different ways, and the differences are easiest to see side by side. Standby buys you automation and unlimited runtime on a fuel line. A portable buys you a low entry price at the cost of being hands-on during every outage. A battery buys you silence and an instant, seamless switchover, but you are working from a fixed reserve that runs down.
No option wins on every axis. The right pick is the one whose strengths line up with how your power actually fails and how you want to live during an outage, and sizing the generator you choose comes next.
When each one is the right call
Choose a standby unit if outages are frequent or long, if you are away and want coverage with no one home to start anything, or if you depend on medical or sump equipment that cannot wait. Running on natural gas, a standby has effectively unlimited runtime, and the automatic transfer switch means you may not even notice the handoff. See installed whole-house generator pricing for what that automation costs.
Choose a portable plus an interlock kit if your outages are rare and short and budget is the deciding factor. You accept the manual steps and the refueling, and in exchange you spend a fraction of the standby price. Choose a battery if you want silent, instant backup, if noise ordinances or close neighbors make a generator impractical, or if you already have or plan solar. A battery shines for short, frequent outages and can be recharged by panels during a long one, though on its own it covers hours rather than days of heavy load. A Powerwall-class battery install is the common version of this option.
- ·Frequent or long outages, unattended home: standby
- ·Rare, short outages, tight budget: portable plus interlock
- ·Noise rules, solar, or instant silent backup wanted: battery
- ·Medical or sump equipment that cannot pause: standby or battery
The factors that actually decide it
Fuel access is the quiet deciding factor. A standby on a natural-gas line never needs refueling, while a portable depends on gasoline you have to store and resupply during exactly the storm that knocks out power. A battery needs no fuel but needs recharging, which means solar or restored grid power.
Noise and rules matter more than people expect. Generators are loud and some neighborhoods and ordinances restrict them, especially overnight, while a battery is silent. Then there is budget and runtime: a portable is the smallest up-front cost but the most labor during an outage, a battery is the highest comfort but bounded in duration, and a standby sits in the middle on cost while leading on runtime. A licensed electrician handles the transfer switch or interlock for any of them, which is the part that keeps you and the utility crews safe.
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