Every storm season, I rely on a portable gas generator, and I'm honestly over it. The power delivery can be unstable for some of our sensitive electronics, the noise is annoying, and keeping up with the maintenance and storing fuel is a hassle.
I’m looking to upgrade to a more permanent setup for peace of mind, but I'm torn on which direction to go:
Option 1: A turnkey standby Generac (Propane/NG). Obviously the standard choice, but I've heard horror stories about maintenance costs and wait times for local installers.
Option 2: Tesla Powerwall. I love the idea of battery backup, but the upfront cost is insane and installers are quoting me 6+ months. Plus, a big selling point is selling power back to the grid (net metering), which I don't really care about—I just want reliable backup.
Option 3: A semi-fixed hybrid system. I saw Anker released the E10 system earlier this year. It looks like a semi-DIY approach where you get the home battery setup, but it’s more flexible and you can still tie it into a smart generator (or my existing gas gen) for extended outages. My main hesitation here is the "semi-DIY" aspect. Saving on massive installation fees sounds great, but I'm skeptical if it's truly as "plug-and-play" as advertised. Even if I hire my own electrician to wire an inlet box, it's probably cheaper than a full turnkey system, but definitely more of a headache to coordinate.
Has anyone gone with a hybrid/semi-fixed battery route like the Anker instead of the traditional Generac or Tesla route? Is the flexibility actually worth it, or should I just bite the bullet on a standby gas generator?