(NAPSI)—It’s unfortunate but, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association’s most recent reports, on average, electricity customers experience seven to eight hours of power interruptions a year—but there are ways to prepare.
Power outages can be caused by severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes and heavy rain, snow and ice storms. In addition, an estimated 70 percent of the United States’ transmission lines are more than 25 years old. An aging infrastructure contributes to intermittent power episodes and increased energy costs.
With the rise of power outages, many homeowners are looking for alternatives to traditional utility power to ensure they have uninterrupted access to essential technology. Phones are important to check in on family members and friends. Heat and air conditioning are imperative for safety and comfort. Refrigerators and freezers must function so food doesn’t spoil. And, for some, home medical equipment is vital.
Two products that can help deliver peace of mind, along with energy resiliency and efficiency, are home standby generators and battery storage systems.
Standby Generators
Standby generators are a seamless option that kick in automatically when there’s a power outage. They are permanently installed outside a home and are fueled by liquid propane or natural gas.
Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions offers a full range of PowerProtect™ standby generators to meet a variety of homeowner needs.
The Briggs & Stratton® 12kW model is an upright unit with ultra compact footprint and works well for small and mid-sized homes. The extremely powerful 26kW can get an entire house through an outage. The company also offers 17kW and 20kW units that can handle the energy requirements of mid-sized to large homes.
All PowerProtect units have a commercial-grade Briggs & Stratton Vanguard® engine that’s built to run continuously for days on end. Plus, the full line of Briggs & Stratton® standby generators is equipped with the industry’s most comprehensive warranty over time.
Since standby generators require professional installation, it’s best to add a unit before storm season hits.
Battery Storage Systems
In addition to standby generators, Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions provides residential SimpliPHI® batteries that can capture energy generated by solar panels, wind turbines, generators or the grid. Homeowners can choose between the continuous, unlimited runtime capacity of a generator or the silent, immediate temporary backup power of a battery storage system.
Home batteries are extremely versatile and can be used for both short- and long-term energy needs.
In the short term, they can provide backup power when the grid goes down. In the long term, they can reduce energy costs.
Homeowners can save money by using stored power from their batteries throughout the day or during the evening when many electric companies charge more. In some cases, homeowners can sell their extra power back to the utility for credit on their bill or to eliminate a monthly charge altogether.
Better yet, when paired with solar or other energy-generating systems, battery storage can help homeowners go completely off the grid and become energy independent.
Home battery storage systems continue to come down in price and now qualify for a 30% tax credit as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, many states have incentives to make battery storage more affordable.
With 115 years of company experience in power generation, Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions is positioned to meet the evolving energy needs of today’s homeowners.
For more information on home standby generators and battery storage, visit briggsandstratton.com.
"The average electricity customer experiences seven to eight hours of power interruptions a year. Fortunately, two products can help, delivering energy resiliency and efficiency: home standby generators and battery storage systems."
