You may have heard that solar generators are quieter than traditional gas and diesel ones, but just how quiet are they and is it worth the effort to find a quiet generator?
Are Solar Generators Even Quieter Than Gas Generators Designed to Be Quiet?
In response to growing concerns about noise pollution and the effects it can have on human health, new gas generators have shifted to using inverters in combination with engines. This means that they still require fuel to run and have some moving parts, unlike solar generators.
The reduction in noise is impressive for quiet gas generators but they are often a bit louder than their solar counterparts. This is because solar generators are practically silent aside from a low humming from the inverter and a fan to vent heat away from the device.
How Loud Are Gas Generators?
Traditional gas generators are pretty loud. They often reach decibel levels of 80 to 100 decibels. For reference, this is about the same noise level as standing on the curb while heavy city traffic is passing by.
This may not seem very loud in the grand scheme but safety rules state that listening to just 85 decibels of noise for over 8 hours can cause hearing damage. Now imagine running a generator like that in a campground for the whole day and you might see why a quieter solution is preferred.
New gas generators that are designed to be quieter usually come in at 50 to 70 decibels when measured, which is a significant improvement.
How Loud Are Solar Generators?
Solar generators are much quieter than traditional gas generators. Because they only rely on an inverter and fan when things get hot, the noise they generate typically sits between 40 and 60 decibels. This ranges from a quiet room in a house up to the noise of a normal one-on-one conversation.
In practice, this means you will hardly notice a solar generator’s noise because of the background noise that constantly surrounds us.
Are All Solar Generators Quiet?
The nature of solar generators means that they are all quiet because they are all designed and operate in a similar way. Converting solar energy into useful electricity is not a noisy process like converting chemical energy in the form of gasoline into electricity.
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Should I Pick a Solar Generator Based on Sound Level?
No, picking a solar generator based on sound level is not a good idea because they all have similar noise levels. Instead, it is better to focus on things like capacity, charge times, and how portable the solar generator is.
If you need to have the quietest possible solution, consider picking a solar generator and simply moving it further from where you are using its power as this will reduce the noise even more.
