Power outages are a nuisance to some but for others the power being out can be serious if critical applications such as medical devices, telephones, home office computers, sump pumps, or refrigeration are threatened. Thus, you can see that considering an emergency backup power system is not only a good idea for comfort sake, but for health and livelihood purposes as well. Emergency backup power systems currently available on the market make it possible for homeowners to have continued access to electrical service during power outages.

These emergency backup power systems are usually either fossil-fuel-powered generators or a battery-based storage system. So which is better? Well, while the goal of both system types is the same-to produce backup power- they each have advantages and disadvantages. Let's take a look at these two types of emergency backup power systems and how they work:

For emergency backup power during typical power outages, such as those caused by severe weather or overuse, battery-based systems represent a fairly simple and silent alternative. The way a battery-based system works like so.there are two basic components some type of an inverter/charger and a set of DC batteries. The way it works is the inverter/charger converts AC power from the grid to DC to charge the batteries. Then, when power from the grid is lost, the inverter converts the DC battery power to AC for use in the home. So, as you can see this is a good option, the problem is the length of time it will last.

There is not a set amount of time that the battery will last, the length of time that a battery-based storage system can provide emergency power to the home depends on the battery and the home. What is the overall capacity and the type and number of appliances connected to the backup system? Basically how much power are you going to require while the power outage occurs? If you need to have large energy requiring systems running, and many smaller appliances etc. then this option will only work for maybe a couple of hours; battery-based systems are not designed to provide power over an extended length of time. Obviously, power conservation can extend operating time considerably longer than a few hours, but it still won't work long term. However, there are some options for long time use. fossil fuel-fired generators or photovoltaic equipment can be integrated into some systems to replenish or supplement the batteries when power is not available from the grid, or to help the batteries support the home's load. Thus, a battery-based emergency backup power system combined with a fuel or solar based system would provide you with longer periods of time that the power can be out.

These systems are well suited to maintaining service to furnaces, entertainment and home office electronics, lighting, microwave ovens, and refrigerators. Other appliances, such as electric heaters, electric water heaters, stoves, and air conditioners would place a large demand on the system, and quickly deplete the batteries. Therefore, they are not good candidates for battery-based backup power.

Potential owners need to identify which appliances will be supported by backup power and determine the load needed to accommodate them. The capacity of the system can then be sized to fit the needs identified by the owner.

For long term use the fuel powered or solar powered emergency backup system is a better option, but it does require the storing of fuel, and can be significantly more expensive.