I am on oxygen and would like to purchase a generator. I hear often about scams perpetrated on people who “fall for” solar scams. As someone who would like to go green w/ an emergency generator, where do I even begin my research? Imagine the havoc an internet search would play on my algorithm. I have put out feelers, unsuccessfully, to people I thought would be encouraged to help someone go green. Where do I go from here and given the environmental crisis we face, should it be this hard? Are there groups educating us and I just don’t know where to look?
Jerry B.
Going green can be exceptionally hard, especially for those who need reliable backup power for necessary health equipment. Today, finding effective and trustworthy information on alternative energy can feel pointless; however, there are ways to find the best energy path for you.
Traditional backup generators that are powered by gasoline or propane have started to lose their appeal for multiple reasons: noise, carbon emissions or the price of fuel. Other sustainable options for generators have begun to sprout up in hopes of supplementing the past ways of power.
So I spoke with Frank O’Brien-Bernini, a member of the Go Green Granville leadership team and former senior vice president and chief sustainability officer of Owens Corning, to see what options people could find in green generators. Go Green Granville itself was formed by a group of volunteers who were passionate about reducing carbon emissions by creating “a sustainable, climate-resilient community” through local initiatives.
Read more: Go Green Granville announces initiative to help fund solar panel installation
“The greenest option would be to go with batteries right there. There’s many different battery backups that are really developed primarily for the RV industry, but they’re high amp hour, long-lasting batteries… But people that run C-paps, oxygen machines, things that are relatively low power requirements, and so those battery backup options work for several days. So if the person is considering backup generation because of concerns about storms or resiliency of their own power system, I’d recommend really looking into some of these high-storage, high-output backup systems… [you] leave them plugged into their house all the time, so the batteries are always fully charged. If [you] lose power, they’ll have several days of power,” O’Brien-Bernini said.
Compared to traditional backup generators that run off gasoline or propane, options of battery-powered generators have gained popularity in recent years based on their minimal impact on the environment.
Short-term battery power stations can store energy in a rechargeable battery that can be used to power electronic devices. These portable batteries can be charged from a variety of sources, such as wall outlets, car adapters or solar panels. Unlike the gasoline-powered generators, these options are able to be inside with no noise. These options can power everything from air conditioners to conventional ovens, ultimately able to power oxygen concentrators in your own home.
“And if the person is on oxygen or has a CPAP or something like that, it opens up a lot of possibilities that they didn’t otherwise have. They can go camping and have their CPAP running. Because the units are not that large, they’re very portable, pick it up with a handle. It’s sort of like a large briefcase,” O’Brien-Bernini added.
Additionally, O’Brien-Bernini stated that typical devices like oxygen makers will have the required voltage and amperage, either on the machine or in the manual, to make sure devices are compatible with your choice of generator.
Similarly, off-grid solar panels, in case of failure in the power grid, have also become popular.
When looking into solar options, it is important to keep an eye out for ads with dramatic claims, brands without proper certification or companies with vague guarantees. Many companies advertise “free solar panels,” mainly referring to solar leases, to help people switch their type of power. Solar leases allow solar companies to install solar panel systems with no up-front cost for installation or maintenance for the buyer. Under these agreements, the solar companies maintain ownership of the system, having the buyer pay them for the power the panels provide.
However, there are options to own your own solar panels, which allows for buyers to store electricity in battery systems, and is the best alternative if one’s concerns are when the grid goes down, O’Brien-Bernini explained.
The Go Green Granville group has organized workshops and events dedicated to educating community members about topics in renewable energy, such as seminars on options for electric vehicles and their environmental impact, getting off natural gas in homes or information about implementing home solar panels.
“We think about it as sort of education-to-action. A lot of people feel helpless because the government is not doing enough or whatever to combat climate change. So we’re trying to put practical options in front of people that are part of the decisions they make every day, like, ‘What kind of car am I going to drive?’ ‘How am I going to power my house?’ ‘What kind of kitchen stove should I have: a gas or electric?, and what’s the difference?’” O’Brien-Bernini said.
In the end, it should never have to be hard to find reliable information to help guide us in our decisions in consciously navigating how we consume our energy, but like O’Brien-Bernini said as we finished our conversation: “once you know, you can make a difference with every decision you make.”
Thanks for asking away!
Tyler Thompson writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.