Yes, generators are on their way out.

Solar-battery systems are more reliable and produce cheaper electricity than generators. Solar-battery systems are also clean and silent.

But if you are off-grid and your roof is covered with snow or run a clinic or other critical facility, it is still very reasonable to include a generator as an additional backup energy source to charge the batteries.

The PowerBloc makes generator integration easy. The EXTEND™ rectifier module allows you to bring in one or multiple generators, single or three-phase.

The PowerBloc’s EDISON™ energy management system can start and stop the generator automatically, keep track of run hours, and alert the customer when it is time for an oil change or other maintenance.

Screenshot of automatic generator detection by the PowerBloc. The “speedometer” indicates the power level of the generator relative to the maximum power of the generator integration.

You can also just plug a generator into the PowerBloc and turn it on manually.

For this, we can provide the same “generator receptacle” on the PowerBloc that campers in recreational vehicles and trailers have used for decades.

PowerBloc will automatically detect the generator when it turns on and add energy to the batteries.

The DIYA user interface will let the user know when the battery is full and when it is time to turn off the generator. (Don’t worry about overcharging the batteries if you forget to turn off the generator. The PowerBloc will stop drawing power when the batteries are full.)

We have integrated a generator with automatic start and stop at our first installation in Big Sur in 2019. Check out the 2:44 min video from our 2020 StartEngine campaign of that project.

After we doubled the array size at the house in Big Sur, the generator was not needed anymore during the last winter. We expect that many of our customers will find this true as well.

Still, YouSolar’s PowerBloc is unique in integrating one or more generators seamlessly. Customers love the multi-source capabilities of the PowerBloc.