Backup Power in
Generac and Kohler standby generators and home battery backup for Princeton, from the town center to the slopes of Wachusett Mountain.
Get a Generator QuotePrinceton is a hill town at the foot of Wachusett Mountain with about 78 inches of snow a year. Every table at its resilience workshop named the same top vulnerability: a single power line supplies the whole town.
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 Princeton
A week after the December 2008 ice storm, WBUR reported that many of Princeton's roughly 3,500 residents still had no power and that back roads could be waiting a while longer. Princeton spent more than half of its annual budget on storm cleanup, according to minutes in neighboring Holden.
The town's hazard plan says it had prolonged outages after 2008, and that first responders had to teach residents how to use generators during that storm, so it now plans a generator education program. Its resilience report adds the major winter storms of 2015 and 2018 and Irene and Sandy to the list of events of concern.
Who supplies the power
The Princeton Municipal Light Department supplies the town. Its power arrives over one line, which the town says leaves it more exposed to high wind and storms than other towns. A solar and battery interconnection goes to the light department.
Which system fits a Princeton home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
RoseWater Energy
On the slopes of Wachusett, a RoseWater HUB with a generator behind it means the well and the heat never stop, even for the seconds the generator takes to start.
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.
Savant Power
Savant Power Storage can carry a Princeton well and furnace through the first part of an outage, and a hardwired generator recharges it so the water never stops.
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.
Where the equipment goes in Princeton
Except for a small area along Route 140, the entire town is on private wells, and fire protection relies on tanker trucks and static water supplies. In an outage, every well pump in town stops.
More than 90 percent of Princeton's homes are single-family houses, many on large wooded lots. A generator pad needs to sit clear of snow sliding off the roof, with room for a propane tank the truck can reach in winter.
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 Princeton
The town teaches generator safety. What is the safe way to have one?
The town teaches generator safety. What is the safe way to have one?
A standby generator wired through a transfer switch by a licensed electrician, installed outdoors with the manufacturer's clearances. It cannot backfeed the lines or run in a garage the way a misused portable can.
How much propane do we need for a week-long outage?
How much propane do we need for a week-long outage?
It depends on the generator size and the load. We size the tank for several days of your actual load, and the fire department permits and inspects it.
Will the light department need to know about our generator?
Will the light department need to know about our generator?
A standby generator with a proper transfer switch never connects to the utility's lines. For a battery tied to solar, the interconnection application goes to the Princeton Municipal Light Department.
Ready to plan backup power in Princeton?
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.