The unexpected ice storm across Ontario in 2025 left tens of thousands of homes and businesses in the dark—literally. Downed power lines, fallen trees, and freezing temperatures quickly turned a spring storm into a serious emergency. For many, it was a wake-up call: Are you really prepared for a multi-day power outage?

At Solr Solvr, we help homeowners and businesses build smart, simple clean energy solutions that put you in control. And this storm offered some valuable lessons—especially for anyone relying solely on the grid or gas-powered backup only.

🔋 The Pros of Clean Energy Backup

1. Solar + Battery Storage: Quiet, Reliable, and Clean

For those with a solar + battery setup, the advantages during the storm were clear:

• No additional fuel costs – The sun is free.
• No noise - Unlike generators, batteries are silent.
• No fumes – Safe for indoor use and no CO2 emissions.
• Whole-home backup – When properly sized, solar batteries can support critical loads like fridges, Wi-Fi, sump pumps, and lighting.

Some customers even reported that their systems kicked in immediately when the grid failed, providing seamless power with zero interruption—and all this at no extra cost per use.

One Technical Note: If you want whole home back-up from your solar battery, it is important to make sure you have the right connection to your electric panel. My system required a “Back-up Interface” (BUI) to impact my whole home, not just the critical load items (many breaker panels are split this way) and it also guarantees that solar will work with your battery, when the grid is down and the sun is out.   The Energy Advisors at Solr Solvr can help make sure you have the right components for your system to work in a grid-down emergency.

Please note, this is not a brand recommendation-we recommend Canadian-made inverter generators, like King Canada, Echo, Ducar or BE Power Equipment.

‍

2.Inverter Generators as a Smart “Back to the Backup”

While clean energy systems shine, the storm also showed that having a secondary backup is important. Enter the inverter generator:

• Cleaner electricity than traditional gas generators—better for charging sensitive electronics, like solar inverters     and batteries.
• Efficient fuel use – Inverter tech adjusts output based on load, saving fuel.
• Portable and quieter – More neighborhood-friendly and flexible.

In extended outages (4–8 days like this Spring’s “Ice-mageddon”),solar batteries may drain overnight without sun to recharge. A quality inverter generator can recharge your batteries in the morning, giving your solar system a boost until the sun returns.

There are many strong Canadian brands available for purchase, and some allow multi-source fuel: Propane, LNG or Gasoline.

❌ The Downsides of Traditional Gas Generators

If you were relying only on a gas generator, you probably ran into one or more of these issues:

1. Sky-High Fuel Costs

Many homeowners reported spending $1,000 or more on fuel over the course of the outage. And that’s assuming they could get fuel at all—many gas stations were shut down due to the same power outage.

2. Outdoor Operation Only

If you’ve got a whole-home or business generator with permanent connection to your electrical system, good for you—it works automatically and will operate with a constant fuel supply, like Nature gas, or large “Pig” of propane gas.  However, if you are like most folks, you have a portable generator for operation outdoors due to the fumes it emits.  And some are not aware of the carbon monoxide it produces, and is a silent killer with no scent. Then there is the tricky business of manually connecting a generator to extension cords, through a door or window—in this case, letting in sub-zero air while you are trying desperately to heat your home in a power outage.  It’s do-able and I know from experience (I borrowed one in a pinch), it works, its just not seamless nor comfortable.

3. Maintenance Mayhem

A gas engine sitting idle for months (or years?) won’t just fire up without prep. As part of your regular maintenance routine, you need to:

• Use fuel stabilizer to prevent gas from breaking down.
• Clean the carburetor and change oil regularly.
• Ensure you have an oil dipstick with magnetic tip to collect the metal shavings during operation.
• Install a new spark plug annually if you want it to start on demand.

‍

Let’s be honest—how many of us actually do all that before an emergency?

✅ Best of Both: Solar First, Generator Second

Here’s what we saw as the winning combo:

• Solar + battery as your primary backup – works immediately, automatic ,silent,  and clean.
• You can also have smaller mobile batteries (shop for an EcoFlow or Jackery here) that will connect to your system, but consider a gas source as back-up that you can replenish without power, like an…
• Inverter generator using gas as your secondary support – for long stretches without sun. Redundancy and multiple options, even if they emit greenhouse gas emissions, are a necessity when the power is out for extended stretches.

That’s how you build a resilient energy toolkit—one that protects your family, your business, and your peace of mind the next time there is a power failure emergency.

‍