One Houston homeowner was sick of blackouts and decided to make sure their home would always have power.
They posted about their options in the r/solar subreddit.
"Considering adding batteries versus a standby generator," they said. "Call me crazy, but I don't trust my political leaders to fix the problems with our power grid and I now anticipate a multi-day power outage every couple years."
The original poster seemed to be leaning toward a battery backup, but they were unsure.
"What are the pros/cons to batteries versus a Generac?" they asked, referring to a common brand of generator dating to the 1950s that comes in models powered by natural gas, propane, gasoline, or diesel. "My main concern is whether the batteries will have enough juice to actually power the house during a hot summer with no help from the grid."
The original poster didn't specifically mention solar panels, but based on the fact that they posted in r/solar, it's most likely that they were considering panels to go with their battery setup or already had them.
That's a smart choice because solar is one of the best ways to save on energy and maintain independence. In some cases, you can even eliminate your electrical bill entirely — especially with a battery pack to allow you to use stored solar power at night.
Commenters were in favor of the battery option.
"For twice the price of a Generac, you can power the whole house for about four hours of peak AC usage," said one user. "If you get solar plus batteries, you pay a lot up front, but you keep using free electricity after sundown, the battery pays for itself in five years, and the solar panels in about seven. LFP batteries last 10-15 years in home use and are very low fire risk."
Unfortunately, it's difficult to pin down the exact cost comparison between these options without specifics. Luckily, online tools such as EnergySage's allow you to get quick quotes on solar installation from vetted providers in your area, as well as compare prices across providers.
EnergySage basically functions like an Expedia for solar panels. And with that access to direct comparisons of options and reviews from other users, it's much easier to see how solar measures up.
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