Generator vs backup battery price comparison

Mike Hoxbig said:
Even if it's cloudy/rainy, if you can reduce your base load, you should be able to cover it as well as charge your batteries somewhat to make it through the night. You can make a plan when the situation demands it...
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Reduce your base load by switching off the freezers and letting your Joey's sausage go vrot.
 
Lupus said:
Yeah I remember the story, you did it though.
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It was a complete PITA, switching everything but essentials off, lending a trolley inverter, using a head lamp, moving our son in our bedroom, etc. but we managed. Thinking of having the LFP's now, we wouldn't bat an eye lid other than watching what we run to maximise charging of the batteries during day time.
 
BuckRogers said:
Reduce your base load by switching off the freezers and letting your Joey's sausage go vrot.
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Fridges and freezers hardly use anything.

In my case it's the 15 outside lights on a day/night sensor (need to switch them off on the db) and the TV that contribute most to the base load...
 
Neuk_ said:
It was a complete PITA, switching everything but essentials off, lending a trolley inverter, using a head lamp, moving our son in our bedroom, etc. but we managed. Thinking of having the LFP's now, we wouldn't bat an eye lid other than watching what we run to maximise charging of the batteries during day time.
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Yeah it's amazing when moving away from lead acid, like now suddenly that 50% worry is over and also that worry of it not charging correctly
 
You have to factor in the running costs of the battery inverter system and the generator system. The generator needs to be serviced every 50 hours and if you can't do it yourself factor a cost of 500 for oil, sparkplug and labour. So R10 per hour. Petrol will be about a litre per hour so approx R20 per hour on fuel. So running costs of the generator are about R30 per hour. Work on an average of 10 hours of loadshedding per month, so R300 per month or R3600 per year. The battery inverter should last for about 3 years before the battery needs to be replaced. But a new battery is much less than the R10800 you will have spent running the generator. Probably over a period of 5 years the cost of battery inverter and generator even out.

However, the benefit of generator power is that it doesn't run flat. As long as you have petrol it will keep going.
 
Kev007 said:
You have to factor in the running costs of the battery inverter system and the generator system. The generator needs to be serviced every 50 hours and if you can't do it yourself factor a cost of 500 for oil, sparkplug and labour. So R10 per hour. Petrol will be about a litre per hour so approx R20 per hour on fuel. So running costs of the generator are about R30 per hour. Work on an average of 10 hours of loadshedding per month, so R300 per month or R3600 per year. The battery inverter should last for about 3 years before the battery needs to be replaced. But a new battery is much less than the R10800 you will have spent running the generator. Probably over a period of 5 years the cost of battery inverter and generator even out.

However, the benefit of generator power is that it doesn't run flat. As long as you have petrol it will keep going.
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3 years on a battery? That's either a really good lead acid or a really bad lithium.
Also 10 hours of load shedding a month? Stage 4 is 6 hours a day
 
zeb said:
No we're not. I never argued that price wise you can get the same value and I'm not arguing in favour of either option.
My point is you need a proper generator to run a whole house. A generator between R50k and R100k will run everything a R300k+ solar system will.

I have used a diesel generator from around 2008. Never regretted buying it and I won't get rid of it, even though I have installed a proper solar system.
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I ran a 4 bedroom house with a 2 bedroom flatlet (with own small geyser) and pool with my cheap 7.5kVA genny costing 10K in 2019/20. So yes, it's possible. Today it does standby duty as a black start device for my solar system and a supplement if / when I have issues. It's versatile too, I can assist others with it, light up a shooting range during a night shoot, or take it camping with me. I received a lot of bang for my buck, probably the best 10K that I ever spent.
 
A3@MBB said:
And you think the manufacturing process of said batteries are only producing fairy farts?
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Batteries get recycled for the materials inside them. And no I never said there was no wastage with batteries, it is about a generator spewing out pollution in a city every time they are used. The air pollution factor is just never mentioned, yet we'll see regulations at some point because it has become a growing issue with the number in regular use. It's not just the noise issue.

Despite the PR from fossil fuel companies, when comparing the full supply chain for EVs (batteries) and combustion engines, the EVs still come out cleaner, even if charging from coal powered stations. So yes, relatively speaking, batteries are still the better way to go.
 
RonSwanson said:
I ran a 4 bedroom house with a 2 bedroom flatlet (with own small geyser) and pool with my cheap 7.5kVA genny costing 10K in 2019/20. So yes, it's possible. Today it does standby duty as a black start device for my solar system and a supplement if / when I have issues. It's versatile too, I can assist others with it, light up a shooting range during a night shoot, or take it camping with me. I received a lot of bang for my buck, probably the best 10K that I ever spent.
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You've actually taken it along camping? Wild Camping? Or just sketching a possible use case?

Which brand? Mac- Afric? Must be heavy.
 
joshuatree said:
You've actually taken it along camping? Wild Camping? Or just sketching a possible use case?

Which brand? Mac- Afric? Must be heavy.
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Well spotted. You have the makings of a Swanson.

It's a cheapy:

No, I haven't taken it camping yet (I guess that it would be glamping then ;)), and I have no intention / need of doing so, but it is a possibility. My point is its versatility, it's on wheels and relatively easy to load on the back of my bakkie, so I can deploy it virtually everywhere where power is needed.

Agreed that real men don't take gennies along when camping, something to add to my Pyramid of Greatness.
 
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