Matt Hoots of
Sawhorse, Inc. interviews Rachel Stotts of Jackery about their portable Solar Power generators. Jackery’s power stations are battery-powered units that can be powered by solar panels or by wall or vehicle power. For people who have listened to a gas generator, the quiet operations can be pretty appealing, in addition to the lack of emissions from this battery powered back up system. The units can be powered by solar panels or right from a home’s outlets over time. You can literally plug and play info a home’s standard AC wall outlet. Or a car’s 12 v port.
Jackery power stations can run as a portable generator to individual devices or to power a small home system. The system is modular and can be built out to 60 kWh and can also be powered by both high voltage and low voltage solar panels, which are available in kits.
This type of system is a good choice for:
- Power outages
- Jobsites
- Vacations/RVs (solar panels will help with recharging here)
- Outdoor entertaining
Jackery units store power in internal lithium batteries and then release that power to devices or appliances that simply plug into the generator. What is powered and for how long really depends on the use, the length of time, and which model someone selects. In a power outage, a portable power generator will be able to cover specific items like electronics or tools, a refrigerator for some time, or lights for longer, or essential loads for shorter periods of time. For powering the average home or say running HVAC systems, then one would need to look to a larger whole home back up battery system, requiring professional installation. (This type of system also would need a transfer switch and other requirements to power a home more broadly.)
What type of back up power have you used, and what has been your experience? Are you looking to invest in back up generation? What are your questions?
