Backup Power in
Generac and Kohler standby generators and home battery backup for Sterling, from the town center to the farms and hill roads.
Get a Generator QuoteAfter the December 2008 ice storm left some Sterling residents without power for up to 14 days, the town's light department built the first utility-scale battery in Massachusetts. It keeps the police station and dispatch center running. Homes are still on their own.
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 Sterling
The town's public works department later described December 11, 2008 as a declared natural disaster that devastated parts of Sterling and its infrastructure, and residents were without power for up to two weeks.
The town's resilience report lists extreme weather and high-intensity rainfall among its top hazards and names Kendall Hill Road, Chace Hill Road and Swett Hill Road as roads that storms can leave impassable.
Who supplies the power
The Sterling Municipal Light Department serves about 3,700 customers. Its 2 megawatt battery at the Chocksett Road substation, installed in 2016, can island from the grid and, with the town's solar array, keep the police station and dispatch running for at least 12 days. A home battery and solar interconnection goes to the light department.
Which system fits a Sterling home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
RoseWater Energy
For a large Sterling house on one of the hill roads, a RoseWater HUB with a generator behind it covers both the first second of an outage and the second week.
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 works at house scale the way the town's battery works for the police station: Savant Power Storage carries the circuits you choose, and a generator or solar recharges it.
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 Sterling
About 80 percent of Sterling is on the public water system and 20 percent on private wells. On a well, the pump belongs on the backup plan, and the generator has to handle its starting load.
On the hill roads, plan for a propane tank the delivery truck can reach in winter, and a generator pad clear of snow sliding off the roof.
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 Sterling
Sterling has a town battery. Why do we need our own?
Sterling has a town battery. Why do we need our own?
The town battery keeps the police station and dispatch center running. It does not carry homes. In 2008 some residents waited two weeks, and a generator or battery at your house is what covers that.
We live on Chace Hill Road. What if the road is blocked?
We live on Chace Hill Road. What if the road is blocked?
A standby generator starts and runs on its own, so it does not matter if crews or deliveries cannot reach you for a day. Keep the propane tank full ahead of winter.
Can a battery and solar keep us going like the town's system?
Can a battery and solar keep us going like the town's system?
On a smaller scale, yes. Solar can recharge a battery during the day in an outage, and a generator fills in when there is not enough sun. We size the combination for your house.
Ready to plan backup power in Sterling?
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.