Looking for a power backup but confused about which one is better for home use an inverter Genset or a regular generator for home. This is very normal when you have zero experience with the power backup. In this situation, a generator buying guide is more helpful to get a better understanding & also help you to find the best deal.
As we know that having a power backup source is the best way to protect your households during unplanned power failure. Also, the daily life dependency on electricity increases its importance. The irregularity in power distribution & unplanned power failure is the main reason of influential at power generation sector. The two most common facilities of electricity distribution generator & inverter introduce for power backup. Where a DG Set produces electricity from an external source & an inverter produces electricity from a DC source.
Both power resources have some unique features including various pros & cons. Here we present an unbiased compression including the feature & benefits of this both technology. So spend your 2 minutes reading this article for better understanding & compression between generator & inverter.
What is a generator?
In general words, we can say, DG Set is a device that converts mechanical energy into the form of electrical energy. The basic work fundamental of the generator is the principle of electromagnetic induction. To generate electricity, the electromagnetic induction runs at a definite speed with some form of prime movers like a steam turbine or diesel engine. A power generator is most useful during the main grid’s distribution shutdown. Also, that device is able to generate electricity from various power resources such as water turbines or internal combustion engines. The DC generators are largely used in power plants as well as in mobile equipment.
What is an inverter?
An inverter is a device that is used to converts direct current into the form of alternating current. This inverter power backup device contains an extra unit of an electronic circuit to charge the battery as well as distribute the load management for the use of household appliances. The inverter generator works like a power adopter to operate home appliances through internal electric wiring. The power generation for this device is mainly dependent on the battery. The quality of inverter generator electricity is almost the same as the main grid’s power. Also, the high power output rating of this device is able to run all modern home appliances such as water purifier, microwave, fan, geyser, refrigerator & others.
Review & comparison between generator & inverter
The proper understanding of review & comparison between generator & inverter will help to identify which one is better for your needs. Also, the review of products is beneficial to buy an ideal & well match backup Genset for home. Let’s take a look at the review & comparison between both of them.
1. Power consumption
Before buying any device (DG Set or inverter) you need to consider the total amount of power consumption of your home. If you are using large power drawing equipment & also want to run them during the main grid’s failure then a portable generator for home is the best choice. There are mainly two types of power Genset used for home purposes. The first one is portable DG & the other one is a standby home generator.
To run small equipment which doesn’t consume a high amount of power is easy to operate by inverter. This small in size & easy install power backup unit is able to run small power appliances of the home such as bulb, tv, fan, washing machine, refrigerator & other households. Also, the ability to provide long duration service (9 to 12 hour) make them more suitable for their jobs.
A power generator generally operates on gasoline or propane and this device is an ideal choice to run commercial applications. Also, a small home generator is also beneficial to run multiple home appliances which have a high power consumption rate. On other hand, an inverter powered by batteries & provides clean & reliable energy for households.
Review: In Indian homes, where we can expect power cuts and blackouts now and then, buying a portable generator is considered the best option. Portable generators are generally easy to use, economic to buy, and give a big power boost to run a large number of household devices at the same time.
2. Size/Portability
Inverters are low capacity devices as compared to the generators and thus it also has a smaller size compared to the latter one. Generators are heavy electrical devices that are capable of tolerating extreme power spikes or sudden blackouts. Whereas inverters are much smaller in size than generators which have low capacities and come with auto shut features. It shuts the power off in case of sudden power spikes to protect itself from internal burnouts. A generator generally weighs over 100 pounds whereas an inverter weighs between 40-50 pounds. If a small single-family, is considered then an inverter is the best option. A light-weighted battery-driven, easy to charge device is apt for long-distance travel purposes.
Review: Inverters are light weighted, portable, battery-driven, and easy to travel long distances. According to size, these small electric packages are considered to be the best.
3. Maintenance
In most cases, the engine geared generators are run either by gasoline or diesel, which require maintenance now and then, say either change of lubricant oil or distilled water. Gasoline or diesel have a short shelf-life of a year or two max. Moreover, gasoline is flammable due to its low flash point and high vapor density due to which it cannot be stored for more than a few months. You can extend the storage longer only if you are using a chemical stabilizer.
Inverters on the other hand almost run on zero maintenance. It draws power from its power circuit and has an inbuilt battery setup for hassle-free charging. In addition, inverters simply start once the power is gone, it converts DC to AC with almost no complexity.
Review: In terms of maintenance, inverters out beats every other option that runs alongside. It has zero maintenance as it draws power from its battery and converts it into an AC supply.
4. Fuel type
Different power grids have different fuel consumptions and thus give different power supplies.
A Portable generator can have a variety of fuel options like Gasoline, Diesel fuel, Bio Diesel, Emulsified Diesel, Propane, and Natural gas. The greater the fuel efficiency the smaller is the fuel tank. Greater efficiency indicates the fact that less fuel is required for the generator to work for the same run-time. Generally, portable generators that run on diesel are best for home use. Gasoline generators are efficient and easy to use, you will quickly figure out whats the problem is with a gas motor but gasoline is difficult to store without a fuel stabilizer.
Propane generators on the other hand are affordable and leave no contamination after burning out. Unlike gasoline, It has a longer shelf life but propane motor is less efficient than gasoline and hard to fix once something gets wrong with it. Diesel generators are best to use since it is efficient, easy to use and economical. Nowadays Dual fuel generators are the best option to pick. Where you can easily shift your preference according to your need. On the other hand, Inverters convert the stored power into running current and these power grids can be used for traveling purposes.
On average, inverters have an average power of 1200-4000watts, portable generators have a power delivery capacity of 3000- 8000 watts where big stand-by generators reach over 10,000 watts.
Review: When it comes to fuel, Diesel portable generators and Dual-fuel portable generators are considered the wisest to pick. These fuel-type generators are the easiest and convenient to use and run best for household purposes.
5. Budget
In general, portable generators are much cheaper than inverters. It is affordable when a lot of power is required. The reason why inverters are more expensive is that they work on a newer technology of drawing the power from a DC source and converting them into AC supply. Inverters also have some extra added features that make them cost a few bucks more. It is quieter, more fuel-efficient, and delivers minimum harmonic distortion.
Review: If you are looking for a backup power supply and you wish it to be efficient, pocket-friendly, and hold high power capacity, portable generators are the ultimate choice you must go for.
Summary
In Indian homes, we generally lookout for a power backup that is reliable and trustworthy. A lightweight, user-friendly & fuel-efficient backup Genset is always the best choice. But it is difficult to find a single power backup with all features. So this is very important to choose a generator for the home very wisely. There are various categories of small inverters & standby DG Sets that are able to run households during the power failure.
Here in this article, we have shared the best tips with review & compression between inverter & generator. The above information is very helpful for people who are looking for a power backup for their homes.