Future-Proof Your Home: Essential Backup Generator Options for Edmonton
In our modern world, we rely on electricity for everything. For homeowners in and around Edmonton and the surrounding areas, a backup electric generator isn’t just a luxury; it’s a smart investment in your family’s comfort and safety. As your trusted local builder, Effect Home Builders is known for its energy-efficient and creative designs, but we also work closely with homeowners to incorporate durability and resilience into every home. We have been seeing an increase in demand for these home backup systems and have been installing them on new homes. We know the importance of building a home that’s future ready.
The Alberta Grid: A Changing Landscape
Alberta’s energy grid faces increasing strain from its “energy-only” market design. This has led to recent grid alerts and rolling blackouts in Edmonton, often exacerbated by extreme weather events like severe cold snaps, heat waves, and intense storms. A backup generator provides an essential layer of security against these unpredictable disruptions, ensuring your Edmonton home stays powered.
Peace of Mind, Powered Up
Imagine a winter storm knocking out power. Without electricity, your heating fails, food spoils, and security systems go offline. With a reliable backup generator, your home’s critical systems spring to life, ensuring comfort and protection. This single piece of equipment, which can run on natural gas, propane, or gasoline, restores power to your home’s most critical systems. This includes your heating, refrigerators, lights, sump pump, security system, charging stations, and Wi-Fi. It’s a silent guardian, offering ultimate peace of mind for Edmonton homeowners.
Choosing Your Power Solution: Options for Edmonton Homes
Selecting the right backup generator involves considering your budget, desired coverage, and property specifics. All hardwired generator installations in Edmonton require electrical and gas permits to ensure safety and compliance, with fees typically ranging from $100 to $650.
It’s important to note that depending on the specifics of your home and the chosen installation location, the details and costs may vary. For fixed generators, the unit typically needs to be mounted on a stable, level surface such as a poured concrete pad or a pre-fabricated concrete pad, and these costs are included in our estimates.
Portable generators also require a stable, well-ventilated outdoor surface, which could be a simple gravel pad or pavers, and these minimal site preparation costs are also included.
Here are three primary options with approximate total installed costs for Edmonton and area homeowners (all costs in CAD, including equipment, electrical work, gas fitting, site preparation, and permits):
Option 1: Whole Home Backup (Fixed Natural Gas/Propane Generator with Automatic Transfer Switch)
This is the ultimate solution for whole home backup power, automatically restoring power to your entire home within seconds of an outage. Brands like Generac and Kohler offer robust units for this purpose. The generator is permanently installed outdoors and connected to your main electrical system via an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS).
- Approximate Total Installed Cost: $13,200 – $24,750+
- Advantages: Seamless automatic operation, comprehensive whole-home coverage, continuous fuel supply (natural gas), increased property value.
- Disadvantages: Highest upfront cost, complex professional installation, permanent fixture.
Option 2: Essential Load Backup (Fixed Natural Gas/Propane Generator with Automatic Transfer Switch)
This option offers automatic power restoration for your most critical circuits (e.g., furnace, fridge, select lights, sump pump, Wi-Fi). Popular brands for these units include Generac and Kohler. It uses an ATS to power only designated essential circuits.
- Approximate Total Installed Cost: $10,450 – $20,900+
- Advantages: Automatic operation for critical needs, more cost-effective than whole-home, continuous fuel supply (natural gas).
- Disadvantages: Limited coverage to essential circuits, still requires professional installation, fixed location.
Option 3: Essential Load Backup (Portable Tri-Fuel Generator with Manual Transfer Load Center)
This is the most budget-friendly option for essential load backup. A portable tri-fuel generator (gasoline, propane, or natural gas with a quick connect option) from brands like Champion or Generac is manually started and connected to a pre-installed manual transfer load center via a heavy-duty cord. This option works with homes with existing solar connections. We recently installed a cost-effective portable tri-fuel generator on one of our homes, named The Phoenix, which met all the backup needs desired by the homeowner. Working closely with our trusted partners at Lexand Electric, this portable tri-fuel generator was tied into the electrical panel. It also features a natural gas quick connect, making it very simple to connect and removing the need to manage the fuel.
- Approximate Total Installed Cost: $2,650 – $5,600+
- Advantages: Lowest upfront cost, portability for other uses, works with existing solar connections, simpler installation.
- Disadvantages: Manual operation, may require active fuel management depending on the fuel source chosen, can be noisy and produce fumes, potential security risk.
Summary of Approximate Total Installed Costs (Edmonton & Area)
Beyond Installation: Long-Term Ownership & Safety
Consider ongoing fuel costs (natural gas is generally most cost-effective), annual maintenance, and crucial safety protocols. Never operate portable generators indoors due to carbon monoxide risk. Any generator hardwired into your home must have a proper transfer switch installed by licensed professionals to prevent dangerous “backfeeding” onto the grid.
Conclusion: Building a Future-Ready Home with Effect Home Builders
In an era of increasing grid strain and extreme weather, a backup generator is a foundational component of a modern, secure, and comfortable home. It’s a proactive step to safeguard your family’s well-being and protect valuable assets. Effect Home Builders is dedicated to constructing homes that are not only beautiful and energy-efficient but also robust and prepared for the future. By integrating a thoughtfully chosen backup power system, you’re fortifying a fortress of comfort and reliability for years to come.
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