Home buyers generally filter options and upgrades through the same lens: Items are either needs or wants. They want the whirlpool tub, but they need a washer and dryer. Recently, manufacturers of backup generators have seen a surge in interest for their products based on this same concept: Homeowners see backup power as a need for when the utility is down.

“The market [for backup generators] has been growing dramatically for the last five years,” says Clement Feng, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Waukesha, Wis.–based Generac Power Systems. “The product became better known after the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005 and after the blackout of 2003.”

Systems Go

Simply put, a backup generator supplies emergency power when the grid goes down. A system consists of a gas- or propane-­powered unit that is connected to an automatic transfer switch and to the home’s main distribution panel. Constantly monitoring the incoming voltage, the generator senses a power loss and activates automatically. At the same time, the transfer switch closes the utility line and opens the line to the generator. Once the power returns, the transfer switch reverts to the utility line.

Used mainly by farmers, businesses, and the construction sector, power generators have been around for many years. The old units were loud, large, or expensive—and in some cases, all three—but improvements over the past 10 years have made them viable for residential use.

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