Backup Power in
Home battery backup and standby generators for Holden, north of Worcester, on the Holden Municipal Light Department's system.
Get a Savant QuoteThe December 2008 ice storm knocked out power to all of Holden for four days, and some areas waited more than two weeks. The town's own light department and its substation were among the things knocked out.
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 Holden
At the peak of the 2008 recovery, 60 crews of linemen and licensed electricians were working in Holden, and some Main Street residents were still without power on December 22, with more than two feet of snow slowing the cleanup. Afterward, crews inspected every service connection in town over two weeks.
The town's resilience report says the major storms of January and March 2018 are fresh in its memory. Its hazard plan records lightning strikes on the town's two radio antennas in December 2008 and October 2011.
Who supplies the power
The Holden Municipal Light Department serves the town, but National Grid brings the power in over two transmission lines that the town's resilience report calls problematic. In 2024 the department opened a 5 megawatt battery at its Chaffins substation, projected to save customers at least $10 million. A home battery and solar interconnection goes to the light department.
Which system fits a Holden home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
RoseWater Energy
A RoseWater HUB suits the larger Holden houses with lighting control and a big network, and pairs with a generator for an outage as long as 2008's.
Whole-home battery backup with zero transfer time and power conditioning, for large homes where nothing can blink. Most projects run $125,000 to $1,000,000.
Standby generator
For a four-day outage like 2008, a standby generator is what keeps the house warm, on its own or recharging a battery.
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 Holden
About 75 percent of Holden is on public water and the rest on private wells, and the resilience report notes that the town's own wells do not all have backup power. For a house on a private well, the pump goes on the backup plan.
More than 89 percent of Holden's homes are single-family houses and only 11.7 percent were built before 1940, so most have a modern panel and a garage or basement for a battery cabinet.
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 Holden
Holden has a big battery now. Does it cover our house in an outage?
Holden has a big battery now. Does it cover our house in an outage?
The light department's battery helps manage costs and supports the grid. It is not set up to carry individual homes through a long outage. A battery or generator at your house does that.
After 2008, crews inspected every service connection. Should ours be checked?
After 2008, crews inspected every service connection. Should ours be checked?
When a backup system goes in, the licensed electrician looks at the service and the panel anyway. If anything needs work, it gets done as part of the installation.
Who reviews a solar and battery system in Holden?
Who reviews a solar and battery system in Holden?
The Holden Municipal Light Department, which runs its own grid battery and knows storage well. We work through the application with them and your solar installer.
Ready to plan backup power in Holden?
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.