Standby Generator
A permanently installed generator (Generac, Kohler, Briggs) that starts itself within seconds of an outage, runs on natural gas or propane, and feeds the house through an automatic transfer switch.
The standby generator is the set-and-forget tier of backup power: it sits on a pad like an AC condenser, exercises itself weekly, and when utility power drops, the automatic transfer switch starts it and shifts the house over in 10 – 30 seconds, whether anyone is home or not. Sizing runs from 10 – 14 kW units covering essentials to 22 – 26 kW units that carry a typical whole home, AC included.
The install is a three-trade project (electrical, gas, sometimes concrete), which is why installed prices run roughly double the sticker: the transfer switch, the gas line sized for the generator's appetite, the pad and the permits are half the job. Fuel choice shapes the experience: natural gas means unlimited runtime, propane means a tank to size and watch.
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- Inverter Generator : A generator that produces clean, electronics-safe power by converting its raw output through an inverter, throttling its engine to match the load.
- Interlock Kit : A sliding plate on the panel cover that physically prevents the main breaker and the generator backfeed breaker from being on at the same time: the budget alternative to a transfer switch.
- Home Battery Backup : Wall-mounted battery systems (Tesla Powerwall, Enphase, FranklinWH) that back up the home instantly and silently, recharged by solar or the grid: the generator alternative with no fuel and no noise.