Dealing With The Heat: Storing And Carrying Your Portable Generator In Summer
Portable generators are very convenient and help you keep the power on when no other sources are available. But these generators do not react well to heat, and you need to find storage spots that will not accidentally lead to damage while the generator sits until you need it next.
Excessive Heat Is Bad, Even for Solar
Solar generators and panels have a reputation of being very sun-resistant. After all, there are huge arrays of panels in the deserts of the southwestern United States. But those panels are there because of the abundant sunlight, not the heat. In fact, excessive heat can make solar power panels and generators work less efficiently. If you want to have a portable generator on your property that uses solar power, you need to keep the generator protected from the heat.
If you need to set up the generator on a very hot day, try to position it so that the panels get the light, but so that there is also a cooling source nearby. That could mean partially shading the rest of the generator or having a fan hooked up to the generator to provide some ventilation.
North and East Areas Are Cooler
Spots on the north and east side of your home will be better for storing generators. Even though solar power generators, for example, are built to be very tough, you don't want to leave them sitting in a spot that is exposed to hot summer afternoon sunlight — and that includes interior rooms. Remember, the heat can get into your house (even if you have air conditioning, the heat can overwhelm it during heat waves) and make the southern and western rooms very hot. Anything in those rooms would then suffer effects. If your generator storage spot is in those areas, you risk damaging the generator.
Use Extra Caution With Small-Scale Generators
Smaller generators, like small solar kits that you can keep with you or keep in your car, are very handy for charging personal devices like phones and laptops. But they are especially vulnerable to excessive heat. If you can, don't keep these kits in your car trunk on very hot days as the heat that builds inside the trunk can damage the components of the generator. You may want to keep the generator in a backpack (again, these are the small, personal generators, not giant power-an-entire-home generators) during the hotter months of the year so that you can take the generator with you when you leave the car.
With proper care, a portable generator can be of service for years. Don't let excessive heat ruin your ability to keep the power flowing at home.