Does any one know the best way to go about have an entire house run off of a generator? Mostly likely over periods of no great than two weeks. But it needs to supply a Washer/Dryer, Central A/C, Water Heater, and all of the basics of a smaller house. I did the math and the math says the max I will need is apprx 13,500W. I've done a lot of research on portable, residential, and even green energy, but I am having trouble finding the best way to go about powering a house continually. I need something relatively quiet, or something I can run a ways from the house.And lastly one more curve ball, this is for west TX, so there's not too much rain, especially these days. But it is a desert atmosphere, so I need a way to keep it out of the elements. Any suggestions? Well ventilated shed maybe? Thanks!
Look at getting a 30KW, you want at least a 50% margin so there will be no overload threshhold to worry about. You never want to have a generator running close to capacity. Depending on your budget you may want to think about hydrogen fuel cells that are supplied by the generator and/or solar panels. Fuel cells will make for a vastly smaller carbon footprint and extend the reliability factor of your generator when used in conjunction with the solar panels. Natural gas is the best. If you don't have that propane is your other option. I don't believe there are any that will run on vegetable oil or biofuels yet, if there are they'll be expensive and you really don't want something that will require a specialist when it breaks down in west TX. Most whole-house standby generators have attenuated cabinets meaning they are insulated from the elemets and for noise management. Not to worry. You will want to educate yourself in basic maintenance and keep an ample stock of air filters for the engine, a dusty environment will play havoc with your generator. If you want to live off of the grid there are other ways to do it, if you are homesteading a plat with more than 5 acres you can get a turbine (windmill) as well. It will be cheaper in the long run to just have electrical service, but if logistics (no grid to tie into) prohibit this think about the options I mentioned. Good luck.
This would need to be a big and expensive generator, probably water-cooled - check out prices on OKorder - if you are only there 2 weeks at a time, that is a lot of money to spend, and a big risk to leave it where it could be stolen when you are away. May I respectfully suggest that you consider non-electric alternatives? It seems rather out of place, and certainly not very green to have a petrol or diesel generator chugging away for 2 solid weeks close to what I guess is a holiday home somewhere remote in the countryside. There are fridges and freezers available which run off LPG (propane or butane) and even kerosene (which might be easier for you to transport to your holiday home) The same goes for a water heater and cooker A washer/drier seems unnecessary (and also not at all green) if you live in a desert atmosphere - take a look on OKorder with the search words as follows: caravan washing machine These small machines use very little water and energy, which I suggest will be important factors for you. Finally aircon (the trade I presently work in) - may I suggest that you look for simple, low energy units that use water evaporation for cooling (will also humidify the dry desert air) - if you follow all the above guidelines, you should be able to get by with a 3 or 5KW portable generator that you can take home for safe-keeping. Sorry to rain on your parade, but I think the idea of an all electric holiday home in the wilderness is in need of a serious re-think for many reasons. Good luck!
Generators run on gasoline or diesel. There just isn't enough energy in a lead acid battery to run a house. You would need a bank of batteries and an inverter to convert the DC to AC,and some way to recharge the batteries. The cost would be prohibitive. Most backup generators run on gasoline and will power some of the appliances in a house. Don't expect to use an electric dryer, stove, washing machine or dishwasher. You might be able to run a TV, refrigerator, lights, a computer, and a radio.
13.5 kW is pretty large for a portable generator. You might as well bite the bullet and get a permanent or standby generator. If you're looking at supplying power for up to two weeks at time, then you need to think about fuel. That's a lot of gasoline or diesel to be schlepping around, so maybe consider a generator that runs on natural gas or propane. A shed should be OK; just need to vent the exhaust. A standby generator would usually come with its own weather-proof enclosure.
