Backup Power in
Whole-home battery backup and standby generators for Chatham, on the elbow of the Cape, designed by Boston Backup Power and installed with licensed local trades.
Build Your Power PlanChatham sits on the elbow of the Cape, open to the Atlantic on one side and Nantucket Sound on the other. The storms that come up the coast hit it early and hard, and when the lines come down the whole town tends to go with them.
In a house that sits empty for part of the year, an outage is harder to deal with, because nobody is there to notice the heat is off or the sump pump has stopped.
Boston Backup Power is a division of Boston Automations in Norwood. We design and install RoseWater Energy systems, Savant Power and Generac and Kohler standby generators, and licensed electricians and gas fitters make the connections.
Authorized RoseWater Energy Dealer. Authorized Savant dealer. Authorized Generac and Kohler partner. Updated .
Storms and outages in Chatham
The morning after the February 2026 blizzard, 94 percent of Chatham was still without power, according to the Cape Cod Chronicle, and residents went to the community center to warm up and charge their phones.
In March 2018, 90 percent of Chatham was out at 9 p.m. on March 12. In July 2019, the tornadoes that crossed the Cape on the 23rd put Chatham among the areas where most of up to 50,000 customers lost power, and two days later 1,352 Chatham customers, 16 percent of the town, were still out. Even a single equipment failure reaches a lot of homes here. A reported pole fire on May 6, 2018 cut power to about 3,700 customers in the elbow, 1,800 of them in Chatham.
Who supplies the power
Chatham is on Eversource. The Cape Cod Chronicle tracks Chatham outages as a share of Eversource customers in town, and that is where any solar or battery interconnection application goes.
Which system fits a Chatham home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
Savant Power
Savant Power is the step below. It puts smart relay modules in your existing panel, adds Savant battery storage, and runs an Essentials scene automatically when the grid drops, so the circuits you chose stay on.
Relay modules in your existing panel and Savant Power Storage batteries, so you choose which circuits get backup power and see your usage in the Savant app. Modules typically run $2,000 to $10,000, and battery backup $10,000 to more than $100,000.
Standby generator
A standby generator is the right call for many Chatham year-round homes. It starts on its own after the power goes out and runs as long as the fuel lasts, which matters when restoration takes days.
A Generac or Kohler standby generator on natural gas or propane that starts on its own when the power goes out. Most installs run $7,500 to $20,000.
Where the equipment goes in Chatham
Chatham's shoreline moves. A January 1987 nor'easter broke through the barrier beach east of Chatham Light, and the 2007 Patriot's Day storm cut North Beach off from the mainland. Some of the exposed shore lost more than 65 feet within a year. For equipment, that means taking the flood zone seriously and putting cabinets and pads where water will not reach them.
Most Chatham houses can take a HUB or a battery cabinet in a garage. A generator needs a pad with clearance from windows, doors and vents, and on a small lot near the harbor that spot has to work for the setbacks too.
Permits in Chatham
Chatham requires an Exterior Mechanical System Appliances Application for generators, revised January 8, 2026. It asks whether the unit is in the floodplain and in which zone, and whether the property is in a historic district. You also provide a plan showing where the unit goes and its setbacks to the property lines and the Conservancy District. The form says a Massachusetts licensed contractor applies for the electrical, plumbing and gas permits, so our licensed electrician and gas fitter handle that part.
How to start
For a RoseWater system, start with the Power Plan. For Savant Power, use the Savant quote form. For a standby generator, use the generator quote form. If you are not sure which one fits, use the contact form or call (781) 333-8003 and we will talk it through. We reply within one business day.
Questions about backup power in Chatham
What does Chatham need before a generator goes in?
What does Chatham need before a generator goes in?
The town's Exterior Mechanical System Appliances Application, with a plan showing the location and setbacks, plus the floodplain and historic district questions on the form. Then the licensed electrician and gas fitter pull their own permits and the work is inspected.
Our Chatham house is empty all winter. Can it look after itself in an outage?
Our Chatham house is empty all winter. Can it look after itself in an outage?
That is what the RoseWater design is for. The HUB keeps heat, sump pumps, the network and the cameras running with no gap, and remote access lets you see that the house is fine. A generator behind it can carry a multi-day outage.
Is a battery or a generator better for a Chatham house?
Is a battery or a generator better for a Chatham house?
A generator runs as long as it has fuel but leaves a short gap when it starts. A battery has no gap and no engine noise but runs for a set number of hours unless something recharges it. Many shore houses end up with both, and we size them together.
Ready to plan backup power in Chatham?
Tell us about the house and what has to stay on. We visit, size the system and give you a written proposal. We reply within one business day.