By Skip Thomsen
There are three major reasons that wind, solar or hydro-electric systems are impractical for
some folks: not enough wind, too many cloudy days, and no stream. In that order. What does that leave them with? Using a generator. Ugh? Not necessarily. An independent energy system that
uses a generator as its primary power source can be efficient and cost-effective in its initial setup. The key is to make it part of a system instead of a sole source of power. Most important in making it part of
a system is full utilization of the generator’s potential. A system that uses only a small portion of the generator’s capabilities and stores little or no power for the times when the generator is off-line is a disaster.