The holiday season is a time for being with family, relaxing with some time away from work, and giving and receiving gifts to and from loved ones. But it can also be the time for extreme weather and power emergencies. One of the biggest culprits causing power outages is powerful winter storms. Whether these storms knock down a power pole or lightning strikes a transformer, trying to survive without power over the holidays is a burden no one should have to endure. This is why giving someone a solar generator as a gift makes perfect practical sense!
As you know, Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023 are coming, and there will be big sales on Growatt solar generators.
When you think of solar energy for your home, you’re probably picturing those giant solar panels sitting on the roof of the house. The truth is, solar panels on your roof do not provide direct power to your home. Typically, these panels will send power back to the power company and they will then issue a credit that you can apply toward your power usage. This is why rooftop solar panels are perfect as an economical choice—but not so much as an emergency power backup choice.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t somehow appropriate solar power when it comes to portable generators. Technology has come a long way and now consumers can take advantage of these advancements. Solar generators are basically portable battery storage systems recharged and powered by solar panels. Solar generators are the latest trend when it comes to surviving when the power goes out. And with the number of people discovering the advantages of this portable wonder, this trend will be around for good.
But Why Portable Solar Power? The Advantages
If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gifts for grandparents, a backup generator should be at the top of your list. Christmas gifts for older parents that are practical and potentially life-saving might as well also be a gift for the children of those parents! Not only for Christmas, other holidays like Carnival and Easter, or special occasions like anniversaries, the solar generator is a good option. There are many reasons why solar-powered generators are superior when compared to the typical gas generator - and knowing your elderly parents have access to clean and reliable backup power is just the start.
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Easy to Operate
Solar generators are basically power banks that get recharged then depleted—then recharged again. There’s no need to refill a fuel tank or run long extension cables from outside to inside the home. There’s no need for any kind of power conversion either. Solar generators are easily plug-and-play which is perfect for elderly parents or those who are not technically savvy. They usually come with a variety of options when it comes to providing power to your electrical devices, including the standard outlet, USB slots, and even USB C slots. The technology in solar generators helps to make sure they are simple to use.
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Portability
Some gas generators can be rather large and cumbersome. This means they are not terribly easy to move around and relocate, especially for older folks or senior citizens. Solar generators have a relatively small footprint and most of them can be picked up and placed wherever is most convenient.
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No Fuel to Burn
A huge advantage that solar generators have over gas-powered generators is there is no fuel that needs to be burned. Solar generators are recharged via solar panels during daylight hours. Then, the battery in the solar generator power bank is used to power all your devices and components. With standard generators, you will need to constantly refill the gas tank to keep your generator providing electricity. If your gas generator stops running, you will not have any power. This also brings up two potential problems: Fuel storage and fuel resupply.
Storing a volatile liquid is not a great option, but it will be a necessity if you are using a gas-powered generator. Also, if you happen to run low on gas and need to get more, you will have to venture away from home to purchase more gas. With a solar generator, you won’t need to store fuel. And you won’t need to leave the safety of your neighborhood either. Since there is no need to leave the safety of your home, this makes the solar generator the safer choice for the elderly.
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Free to Charge
Many seniors are on a fixed income and truly can’t afford another expense. This is why a solar generator makes economical sense for the elderly. Once you’ve made your initial investment, there is no need to buy gasoline to recharge your solar generator. All you need to do is hook into your solar panels and recharge your solar generator’s power bank for free thanks to our powerful sun. A lot of solar generators come standard with the ability to recharge in a variety of ways, not only with solar panels. For instance, if you happen to have access to a working standard outlet, you have the option of “refilling” your power bank that way. Also, if needed, you can recharge by plugging into your vehicle’s auxiliary power outlet. An example of a unit with multiple charging options is the Growatt INFINITY 1500 solar generator.
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Use Inside the Home
One issue many people talk about is where to place your generator when you have it running. As you mentioned earlier, gas generators burn fuel and they cannot be placed inside your home when in use because of the toxic fumes that emanate from the exhaust. A gas generator does you no good outside the home - unless you are able to somehow run power into the home from the outside. This means large and long electric extension cords will need to be laid out across the floor and into your home. With a solar generator, this is not an issue. Since there are no deadly exhaust fumes being emitted from the solar generator, it can be placed conveniently inside the home. Everyone and all your electronic equipment will have easy access to power and there will be no need for your parents to venture outside to plug in their electrical equipment.
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Noiseless and Clean
Another big sticking point is how loud gas generators can be. Sure, they’ve come a long way when it comes to noise reduction, but they will still make noise. It just cannot be helped. During the day, this might not be an issue, but at night, when it’s so quiet you can hear a pin drop, it could be an issue. Solar generators are absolutely silent. If your parents or grandparents struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, the solar generator will not disturb them. They run quietly and they run clean.
Yes, gas generators will emit fumes, just like any other gas-powered device, such as a lawn mower or car. These fumes might not bother you since you have the unit outside with your doors shut. The problem is, what if your neighbors want to be outside? Will the fumes from your gas generator affect your neighbors? Will the noise? These are not even issues if you simply use a solar generator instead.
Related article: Solar Generator VS Gas Generator - Choose the Best One for You
These are just a few of the many positives a solar generator brings to the table. As you present the solar generator as a gift to friends and family and parents and loved ones, be sure to let them know about these advantages. They will come to appreciate your gift even more.
The Solar Generator as the Perfect Gift for the Elderly
The best Christmas gifts for elderly parents or the perfect holiday gifts for your family are the ones that you know they will use. Taking the time to find Christmas gifts for parents in their 70s can be a struggle since, typically, someone at that age has just about everything they need. One investment you can almost guarantee they haven’t thought about is a solar generator.
Introducing your parents or the elderly to new technology is sometimes difficult to do. They have experience with old-school gasoline generators, but not so much with solar generators. They might have questions or have heard negative stereotypes about solar generators. Thankfully, these myths are just that. Here are some of the more prominent falsehoods about solar generators.
“Solar panels and technology are just too expensive!”
Advancements in technology tend to bring down prices and when it comes to solar generators this is also the case. A big reason why solar panel technology has come down in price is thanks to the increased research into solar cell manufacturing. Also, as more companies “go green” there is more competition and this always helps in reducing costs to the consumer.
“I won’t be able to charge my solar generator in the winter!”
It matters not if it is cloudy and cold or sunny and warm; solar panels will work in any weather thanks to new technologies and advancements. Solar panels are able to take indirect light and create energy. Logic tells us that this is true. Simply look at countries utilizing solar energy around the globe. Countries like Canada and England and even Germany, are now considered solar superpowers.
Believe it or not, solar panels tend to work even better in colder weather. In a study by Howell-Mayhew Engineering, a solar power system will work at 29% better than its rating in a colder climate. This is great news, especially if you are someone who is worried about wintry inclement weather causing a power outage. Living in an area of the world where winter weather can be a problem, especially if you are a senior who depends on having power for electrical medical equipment, having a backup solar generator makes even more sense.
“Solar generators will take too long to charge; they won’t be useful!”
When solar technology was in its infancy, this might have been true, but we have come a long, long way from there. Most solar generators can be recharged a lot faster than you think. For instance, the Growatt unit mentioned earlier can be recharged completely from the solar panels in about 2.5 hours. Yes, you heard that right. It only takes the Growatt solar generator 2.5 hours to completely recharge from the solar panels.
Also, this unit can be charged AND used at the same time. This can be a deal-maker since you can be hooked into the solar panels while still providing power for your devices.
“I’ll need to power my whole house and a solar generator can’t do that!”
Although it is true that a typical small solar generator won’t power an entire household, it’s also untrue that you need to provide power to your entire house. The myth here is, you do not need to hook into your home’s electrical panel and send power throughout the entire structure. With a typical 4-hour outage, you will only need the bare necessities to survive and stay comfortable.
The four most important things that may need power are the things that provide you with:
- Light
- Food
- Communication
- Entertainment
LIGHT: Mainly for nighttime use, you won’t need to light every single room in your house. A few strategically placed table lamps and rechargeable flashlights should do the trick. The beauty of having a solar generator is you have the ability to recharge your flashlights.
FOOD: Although some solar generators can provide enough power to run your refrigerator, the odds are you won’t need to do this. As long as you are diligent with how you access the food in your refrigerator, like quickly opening and closing the door and limiting how often you open the doors, your food should be safe to eat for quite some time.
COMMUNICATION: Recharging most devices requires very little wattage, so keeping the communication lines open by keeping your cell phone charged shouldn’t be any worry.
ENTERTAINMENT: Again, refer to your cell phones and tablets as an entertainment source. Very little power will be needed to recharge them—and you certainly won’t need to power your entire house to recharge them.
Solar Generators are the Perfect Holiday Gift
Easy to use, easy to recharge, and easy to purchase, a solar generator makes a perfect holiday gift for the people in your life. The holiday season, typically full of warmth, love, and laughter, can also be dampened by the fear of a looming power outage due to harsh weather and the like. You can remove that worry with the gift of a solar generator as an emergency backup power solution. Not only will you give them the ability to provide emergency electricity when the power goes out, but you will also provide them with the peace of mind that goes along with it.
Related Holidays:
Christmas Gift, Easter Sale, Father Day, Mother Day, Halloween, Hobotech, Summer Sale
