Which Backup Power Solution Is Best For You (And Your EV?)

Today’s video is sponsored by EnergySage - Start your journey to a cleaner, greener future by heading to www.energysage.com/p/transpor...
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We've seen more and more automakers lean into V2H and V2G functionality in their vehicles - and just last week GM unveiled its final pricing for its V2H system for owners of Utlium-based EVs.
But which backup solution is really best for you and your home? And which is best for your EV?
We have some experience with some of the options - but the reality is that most people don't need a V2G or indeed a battery backup at all.
We explain why.
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00:00 - Sponsor Shoutout
00:12 - Introduction
02:07 - What we're focusing on
02:46 - What you're going to install will depend on lots of things
04:21 - What we're expecting you to know\
04:48 - "But what about gasoline generators?"
06:02 - Where do you live?
07:11 - EcoFlow - and similar - are enough for many
07:46 - V2L tends to be a more sustainable solution
08:19 - DIY with a 12V inverter?
10:40 - Quick Caveats
11:49 - Battery backups?
14:15 - More rural or in an older-part of town?
16:09 - The 'Gold standard'
17:00 - A note on backups and solar panels
18:14 - Energy sage sponsor message
19:17 - DIY solutions?
20:48 - Everyone's requirements are different!
21:13 - Nikki's own backup system
23:23 - How long will your backup last?
24:54 - Thanks, and Goodbye!
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Links:
Why your next car needs this: • Your Next Electric Car...
Running our home from an EV in an emergency: • How To Power Your Hous...
Is V2G Good for Your EV? - • V2G: Revolutionary? Sm...
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Presenter, Script, Audio: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield.
Camera, Editor, Colorist: M. Horton
Art and Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
© Transport Evolved LLC, 2024
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[@onekopaka]

Last longer term power outage we just ran extension cords from my Lightning's outlets in the bed to our highest priority loads like the furnace and fridge / freezer. Was definitely much nicer than running a generator. I think for now that's good enough but the home integration system seems super neat (when it works). Great video again!

[@marcberanger]

My backup consists of an Ecoflo Delta pro feeding a 30 amp critical panel. For a really long outage, I can charge the battery from my V2L connector on my EV6. This suits my needs as our mains electricity is relatively reliable. It runs my fridge, fans for NG water heater furnace, internet and some lights. I have used it 3 times without issue. The average outage was about 4 hours. The battery was used without having to use the v2l to top up the battery in all of my outages

[@michaelsmithers4900]

Do you have a mains disconnect? Or is this a completely separate circuit?

[@marcberanger]

@michaelsmithers4900 I have a manual mains disconnect on the subpanel. The sub panel is fed from the mains during normal operation. During a power operation, I switch the feed to the battery and this locks out the feed from the mains

[@michaelsmithers4900]

Sweet

[@Dactylonian]

Awesome video! Thanks for breaking down a variety of alternative solutions. Still feel way underqualified to move forward but this is great starter info. Hope you’re healing up well.

[@Comfort031]

I always wanted to get a natural gas generator, but with the Chevy ultium platform supporting vehicle to home, I may wait for that.

[@KrustyKlown]

makes sense, especially if you also have an ICE vehicle, so you can park your EV to power your house for several days during a major outage.

[@aliyada]

Neat! Thanks for the video TE Crew! With the PNW ice storms taking out power early this year, this is certainly a relevant topic to me.

[@scottmcshannon6821]

i think a generator is the cheapest temporary solution. but if you are actually thinking ahead, and if possible, a hybrid system with solar and batteries, and bi-directional EV will definitely pay for itself in the long run.

[@CrissaKentavr]

The generator is actually quite expensive, especially when you add in the fuel cost. We're at about $5/hour on top of the $400 for the generator. It does work well to augment the battery for the multi-day outages, tho.

[@alantupper4106]

Definitely looking at a hybrid/grid tied battery for our home in the rural northeast. Not only do we get regular power outages from storms, we've also got rooftop solar that is massively overproducing during the day. The V2L from our Hyundai has been a big step up from the gas generators, but investing in a stationary system seems like it's making more and more sense.

[@MePeterNicholls]

I’ve split things up in to three sections. Office. Tv and internet. Kitchen. I’m using a portable battery on a smart plug. I charge when my agile tariff is cheapest (free and minus cost too) and use when my tariff is more costly (peak periods). It’s a new method for me, and yes upfront costs, but already seeing savings.

[@KrustyKlown]

Natural gas generator with transfer switch, is are the way to go if you need power availability assurance for more than a couple days. Such generator/switches can be had used for around $1000.

[@scottmcshannon6821]

i think this is the cheapest temporary solution.

[@grantlouw3182]

My thoughts are thank you Nikki

[@enzodarro179]

Very informative Nikki thanks.

[@CrissaKentavr]

We have a 3kWh Ecoflow Delta Pro. We have a generator, but it uses alot of fuel! Advantage of the Delta over a V2L: I can leave it plugged in 24/7. We only run the generator as long as we need that peak power (and recharge the battery) about once or twice a day, depending on weather.

[@MePeterNicholls]

I have JUST switched from diesel ford focus (uk) to a Polestar 2 dual motor long range. Overall I’m pretty pleased. I’m actually already making savings too.

[@Pottery4Life]

16:00 Ice/wind storms have been the cause of most power cut in the PNW in the in the 60+ years I've been around. THAT particular major earthquake you mentioned could strike tonight or sometime in the next couple hundred years. And yes, there will be a power cut. Especially if you are on the coast.

[@salibaba]

We have a Givenergy system but decided not to wire in the backup option though we still can. Our power is very reliable here and goes out for maybe 10mins per year. I’m always toying with adding it but for the expense I’ll probably wait until I do any other upgrades such as an additional battery and add it then.

[@rp9674]

Off-grid off-roof solar + battery. Hope my next EV has an inverter & 2 120v outlets. Meanwhile my EVS are emergency HVAC survival pods.

[@danielmadar9938]

Thanks

[@EcoHouseThailand]

I have 20kW of solar and 36kWh of home batteries. My BYD Seal has 85kWh of LFP batteries and V2L, because I am off-grid I have connected the V2L from the Seal to the Utility connector on my solar system. I only use V2L at night for a few hours if my home batteries are running low - videos on my channel

[@alanwardrop9575]

If you have a grid connected Tesla home battery the Cybertruck is said to be capable of V2G using the existing isolation switch.

[@toyotaprius79]

I'm strongly considering in sussing out how to screw in solar panels along the perimeter of the garden wall and on an old TV aerial stand, and the store energy, preferably one of those bluetti camper batteries if its price wasn't so grim. Temu or Alibaba seems to have a lot of energy storage units that seem too good to be true! I'll consider anything that isn't the incentivised rip offs with extreme regulations, few choice and constrained supply.

[@ashtaroth1975]

I'm using a bluetti portable battery to work from home using cheap electricity charging by night

[@user-in3br2qs8x]

that doesn´t work in a blackout when energy fails.When the whole grid collapses...so this is your solution? The only thing you have then is what you have stored in that battery and you can use it until the battery is empty.

[@alancadorette3447]

off topic a little, if BYD cars are so cheap ,maybe just buy one as an outside giant. battery . or am I over simplifying it

[@salibaba]

There are actually ideas some people have had to do this with a knackered old leaf, just hook in a Chademo V2G system. Or hack one together to an inverter like @dalathegreat

[@libertykrueger1433]

Ahh yes, the old just get a portable generator trope. While there are much better battery backup options these days, there will always be those dead set on burning some form of petrochemical. To those, I would suggest looking into a generator with the absolute minimum required maintenance and one that can be made 97% efficient by combining both heat and absorption cooling into that power generation. Research the systems available through a company called Capatone Microturbine. They use recuperation to recycle exhaust heat into the intake charge to raise efficiency to nearly twice what you will get with any piston type generator. They also don’t use any oils or liquid coolants as the entire system is air cooled and even the bearings suspend the rotating bits on a layer of air instead of oil. Then by routing the hot gasses through a secondary heat exchanger to provide heat for your home or through an absorption cooler to provide AC, you can minimize any wasted BTUs from those hydrocarbons you insist on burning.

[@milohobo9186]

I want solar panels with a medium sized battery and access v2h on my vehicle in case of hurricanes, but I have an unnatural fear of messing around with electricity and don't have more than a meager income.

[@Jcewazhere]

Anyone happen to know if the ecoflows and similar are quick enough to act as a UPS, or would the computers shut off and need to be powered back on? Also can they be set to charge to 50% on mains power, and topped off with solar run out the window or similar? That'd be ideal, Power as much of my home office as power straight from the sun, while having some backup power when it's needed. My gramps was very much an 'ask forgiveness' type handyman, and selling his house was a nightmare. Nothing was up to code, and many things were downright scary. He was a general contractor for decades and knew and did the right way in customer's places, just couldn't be bothered to be proper at home. Or it was too expensive, so he made it work.

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

My EcoFlow Delta Mini *ALWAYS* supplies output power through the battery, so there is zero cutover time. I don't think there's a way to set a "maximum charge limit for mains" separate from solar, it's a pure "maximum charge limit", unless its buried in the phone app somewhere unintuitive.

[@CrissaKentavr]

Ecoflow says no, but I've never had a problem. However, my UPS doesn't like to charge from my generator so...

[@Jcewazhere]

@@AnonymousFreakYT Thanks for the info

[@Jcewazhere]

@@CrissaKentavr Thanks for the info.

[@uaalien]

You got me excited for a second. The GM vehicle to home is not for all GM Vehicles. It wouldn’t work for Bolt EV/EUV or Spark

[@transportevolved]

Utlium-based EVs ;)

[@uaalien]

Thanks. Someone wasn’t paying attention 😅

[@acefire4050]

That's right, I won't. Buy a gas generator I wouldn't even buy a gas grill if I can't use little twigs and sticks to use a grill. I won't even buy charcoal for the gbill. So I agree with you with solar generators, solar panels, I mean. Heck I had solar panel since 20 tweit.Saved me a heck of a lot of money. I just can't see the prices of a solar generator because they're just all over priced. From what I can tell hack cost 20 bucks to make this seller for 5000 bucks. That's what I can't see. Of course.My dad told me 30 years ago I should invent one if I wanted a solar generator I didn't have the knowledge to do something like that.And that's not what I've been asking for since I was 5 years old.Finally someone comes out with it in 2017 and I didn't find out about it until now.Well actually last year I found out about them.

[@acefire4050]

Actually, I think I shouldn't hook up a 14 kW and vertical our system to an EV car. I mean, it is a 120 kW or a 120000 kW. Battery for a Tesla car and it takes in a charge of 11 kW an hour if you go to an EV station to charge it up, if not more. Cause it's supposed to be to charge it up in 3 hours. And that's a lot of power.

[@badskpr]

There are no incentives in Riverside County California.

[@acefire4050]

Don't worry, I got electric oven stove. I got electric water heater. I don't have a furnace. I got a electric dryer. I have no gas coming into my house. But I used to have the electric company company coming to. The house and touched caught it on fire. Now they're just connected and I have to make my own power. Have to be my own power company.

[@michaelsmithers4900]

A major “feature” of the portable gas generator is the potential for asphyxiation / death… Sadly it happens

[@acefire4050]

I don't have an internet.All I have is a phone.

[@Russwig]

M is doomed to search for a garage with a power outlet... What a waste. Keep Evolving Nikki!!!

[@levenkay4468]

Your claim that having a home's power draw drop below its solar PV system's delivery capability is a Bad Thing is awfully counter-intuitive. If you're saying that some inverters can't withstand the no-load solar panel output voltage, well, OK, but those would be _very_ badly designed inverters, wouldn't they?

[@salibaba]

In my experience any system, particularly hybrid systems capable of still generating when off grid, will automatically clip production to match the loads / battery max charge.

[@brunoheggli2888]

A Diesel generator!

[@jgboys1]

Buy a ICE car! Problem solved!

[@scottmcshannon6821]

how does an ICE vehicle solve power outage issues?

[@jgboys1]

@@scottmcshannon6821 well if you have an ICE car, you could probably get around a lot easier and efficient if you ever lose power at your house.

[@scottmcshannon6821]

@@jgboys1 with out power you cant gas up either.

[@jgboys1]

@@scottmcshannon6821 well you can go on maps on your smart phone and find the closest gas station that has power. Go there. Fill up for 5 minutes and get right back on the road for another 300 miles. Sounds like a little easier process than finding an available charging station, that works and you can use. I am sure you will be waiting there for awhile because they will be packed. Everyone will be going to them all at the same time.

[@kevind4850]

@@scottmcshannon6821 Yeah, we found that out during a couple of wildfires where area-wide power (for a radius of about 70 miles) was shut off for a couple of days due to wind-related fire conditions. Gas stations were all closed due to pumps and payment processing being inoperable, and there were lines of cars parked around them that had run dry. Even natural gas delivery depends on huge compressors and electronics that require electricity, so won't work very long in some outage situations (plus natural gas mains often get intentionally shut down in fire/earthquake/storm situations where entire communities are impacted).