If you like to go camping, or you simply want to be protected when the grid is down for a longer period of time, you can use a traditional gas generator or a solar generator to power your electrical devices that are necessary for your survival.
At home, a generator can provide enough energy to power critical devices such as a refrigerator and maybe your cell phone (which is required to communicate with the others), however, when you go camping, you need a generator that can be easily transported and is strong enough to power all your portable electrical devices.
In this article, I want to make a comparison between a traditional gas generator and a solar generator, and also to discuss the pros and cons of these devices.
What Is A Camping Generator – Definition
Camping generators are portable generators that combine an electrical generator and an engine, both being mounted on the same cart to form a single piece of equipment.
This generator produces electricity by turning the mechanical energy produced by the engine into electrical power.
Being used for camping, these are smaller units that are built to use gasoline or propane as fuel.
Solar generators use an inverter and a powerful battery charged by solar panels or a wind turbine.
The panels should be small enough for easy transportation, but large enough for charging the battery.
Choosing a generator for your next camping trip is not an easy task because both types of generators have advantages and disadvantages.
Depends only on you, what are you choosing to power your electrical devices when you go camping, or in case of a massive blackout that hits your grid and can last a couple of hours, or in case of a natural disaster even days or weeks.
Comparison Between Camping Gas Generators and Solar Generators
1. Mobility
Mobility is important for outdoor activities (you don’t want to carry big and heavy loads when you go camping), and is very important in case of an emergency (when you have to move quickly from one place to another).
In case of a solar generator, we are talking about the generator itself that will weigh around 20 pounds, and the additional weight of the solar panels or a wind turbine that could add another 20 pounds to the total weight.
A solar generator usually uses 50 Watt solar panels (at least five or six panels), that are enough to charge the battery and provide clean electricity for a couple of hours.
A gas generator will be heavier because the unit itself (containing the engine and the electrical generator) weighs around 50 pounds plus the weight of the fuel required to power the generator.
Some units can hold about one gallon of fuel, which is enough to feed the generator for a couple of hours, but adds additional weight.
In terms of mobility, we can say that the gas generator is more mobile because is more compact (you don’t have to carry solar panels or a wind turbine with you).
2. Can Provide Enough Power?
The answer to this question depends on each individual because there are people using a small number of devices which don’t require a large amount of power, and families that use a larger number of devices that require an impressive amount of power.
The generator needs to be able to power portable devices such as: a refrigerator, cell phones, walkie-talkies, maybe a box fan, and even a space heater if you plan to visit an area with colder weather.
The portable heater can be vital for you and your family even if you are at home and the electrical grid is down for a couple of hours or even days in the middle of the winter.
A gas generator can cover a large demand of power (for a family), but you have to bring with you an impressive amount of fuel if you plan to use the generator for several days.
If your electricity demand is not that high, you can use a solar generator because you only have to carry with you a few solar panels or a wind turbine instead of a large tank of fuel.
3. Storage and Maintenance
A gas generator needs more attention because it has more moving parts, while a solar generator doesn’t need so much attention.
Gas generators require more maintenance and they have to run at least occasionally.
The maintenance service will include oil change, cleaning the carburetor, maybe you need to change the spark plugs, etc.
There are moving parts that will break down after a while, and this is the reason why you shouldn’t use a gas generator, especially if you are not the type of person that likes to maintain its equipment in very good shape all the time.
A solar generator is more suited to people that don’t pay much attention on equipment maintenance.
The generator itself is only a big lithium-ion battery that is stored fully charged, and occasionally you have to use it and recharge it about like every 90 days.
Having no moving parts like a gas generator, the solar generator can live about 10 years (around up to 2,000 charge cycles).
Gasoline is a fossil fuel, which means finite resources, while the sunlight can be considered renewable because it will last at least another 5 billions years from now on.
4. Safety and Noise
A gas generator will produce both noise when running (between 50 and 60 db), greenhouse gas emissions due to the presence of the engine that burns gasoline, and odors (the smell of the burned gasoline).
The solar generator being only a lithium battery with a charger and an inverter is 100% quiet, and also free of emissions and odors.
Your neighbors will notice quite quickly that you are using a gas generator (due to the noise and the smell produced), while when using a solar generator, nobody will notice its presence without seeing the panels.
You will always run the gas generator outside to prevent the fumes from accumulating in the house and killing the people inside.
5. Costs
The upfront costs of a solar generator can be high (both the generator and the panels), but you need to understand that “the fuel” used by this generator will never run out and is free.
A gas generator has a smaller upfront cost, but you need to add to its initial cost the price of the fuel used and the maintenance costs.
Being a finite resource, gasoline will only get more expensive in time.
6. Power Source
When we talk about the power source used by these generators, the gas generator is more reliable because it provides power right after starting, but works only if you have fuel.
However, the solar generator has access to an unlimited source of power that is also clean (the sunlight) and free, but the panels will generate power to charge the battery only during sunny days.
If there is a long period of bad weather outside (rainy days), the solar generator will not work properly, and you will have to use a gas generator to power your electrical devices.
Final Conclusion
If your outdoor activity requires electricity, or you simply want backup power in case of a major blackout, you have to use a portable power generator.
Depends on you what you prefer, a gas powered generator or a solar generator.
If you love nature you will always choose the solar generator, if you don’t care about the environment, I’m sure that you will choose the gas generator because is more reliable.
However, don’t forget to take with you a pretty large tank of gasoline, if you plan to go camping for a longer period of time.
Its like you learn my mind! You seem to understand so much approximately this, such as you wrote the e-book in it or something similar.
I feel that you can power your home with solar, but during the winter when the sun has less power to generate electricity, we can use gas for heating.