Newport and
RoseWater Energy systems for homes on Aquidneck Island, Jamestown, Little Compton and the south coast from Narragansett to Watch Hill.
Boston Backup Power designs RoseWater Energy systems for homes in Newport and along the Rhode Island coast, from Middletown, Portsmouth and Jamestown to Little Compton, Narragansett, Westerly and Watch Hill.
Rhode Island's coast takes the full force of hurricanes and nor'easters, and many of its finest houses are second homes. A RoseWater HUB gives those houses steady, conditioned power every day, keeps the important systems running the instant the grid fails, and lets you check on the house from anywhere.
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Hurricanes and outages in Rhode Island
Rhode Island's coast has a long hurricane history. The Hurricane of 1938, Hurricane Carol in 1954 and Hurricane Bob in 1991 all hit the state hard, and Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020 caused widespread outages along the coast.
Rhode Island Energy, which took over from National Grid in 2022, serves almost all of the state. Block Island has its own utility. Whoever supplies the power, the house sees sags, surges and noise between outages, and lightning is a real risk on an exposed shoreline.
A HUB is built for both. Its non-sacrificial surge protection is rated for up to 40 strikes of 140,000 volts, and its always-online design means the house never has to switch over when the grid fails.
Homes in Newport and coastal Rhode Island
Newport has some of the most significant historic houses in the country, from the Gilded Age mansions on Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive to the colonial houses of the Point and the Hill. Around them are shingle-style summer houses in Jamestown, Little Compton and Watch Hill, and newer homes built on the water.
Historic houses come with old wiring, limited mechanical space and rules about what can change on the outside. Newport has local historic district zoning, so we work to fit the equipment inside before anything goes on the exterior.
Many of these homes are lived in part of the year. Remote monitoring and alerts make a real difference when the house is not your main home.
Salt air, flooding and where the system goes
On the Rhode Island coast, the HUB belongs inside, dry and out of the salt air. RoseWater designs HUBs for indoor installation in a garage or basement, without air conditioning, in a space about 3.5 feet wide, 3 feet deep and 8 feet high with 36 inches clear in front.
Low-lying lots near the water often sit in flood zones. RoseWater's warranty does not cover water damage, so if the basement has ever flooded we look for a garage, a raised mechanical room or an upper level. Your electrician and building official confirm where electrical equipment can go.
If the house has no room for it, the HUB40 can go outdoors in RoseWater's climate-controlled enclosure. Exterior work near the shore can involve Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Management Council or a local historic district commission, so we plan that with your architect or builder early.
Cabinet sizes and specs for each system are on the HUB20, HUB40 and 3-Phase pages.
Homes we design for in Newport and coastal Rhode Island
Historic Newport houses
Mansions and colonial houses where the equipment has to fit inside an old building without changing the outside.
Oceanfront summer houses
Shingle-style homes in Jamestown, Little Compton and Watch Hill that take the weather straight off the water.
Second homes
Remote monitoring can send alerts to you, to us and to RoseWater, so you know about a problem before you make the drive.
Larger homes and 3-phase service
Some very large houses have 208 V 3-phase service. RoseWater's 3-phase systems come in 30, 45 and 75 kVA sizes for those homes.
Towns we serve in Rhode Island
- Newport
- Middletown
- Portsmouth
- Jamestown
- Tiverton
- Little Compton
- Bristol
- Barrington
- East Greenwich
- North Kingstown
- Narragansett
- South Kingstown
- Charlestown
- Westerly
- Watch Hill
- Block Island
- Providence
We cover the whole Rhode Island coast and Providence. Block Island projects are planned around the ferry.
How a project runs in Newport and coastal Rhode Island
Rhode Island projects start with a site visit to see the house, the panels and the rooms that could take the equipment. We work with your electrician or bring in a licensed Rhode Island electrician for the tie-in at the main panel, coordinate with your generator or solar partner, and register the project with RoseWater's engineering team. RoseWater technicians commission the system with us, and we support it after that.
Build your Power Plan
Use the Power Plan on this site or call us. You pick what has to stay on, from the network and lighting control to the well pump and the wine room.
Site visit
We look at your electrical service, the main panel and subpanels, and the rooms that could hold the cabinets. On new builds we work from the single-line diagram, riser diagrams and panel schedules.
Design with RoseWater
We register the project with RoseWater's engineering team, size the HUB and battery storage to your plan, and send you a written proposal.
Electrical tie-in
A licensed electrician connects the system at the main panel. We coordinate your electrician or bring in one we trust, along with any generator or solar partner.
Commissioning
RoseWater technicians deliver the cabinets and commission the system on site with us. Commissioning by RoseWater-trained personnel starts the three-year warranty.
Integration and support
We set up monitoring and alerts, tie the system into your home's other systems, and stay your first call for service and warranty questions.
The first step is the Power Plan. If you would rather talk it through, use the contact form or call (781) 333-8003. You can also read about our backup power installation and design services and whole-home battery backup for homes.
Questions about backup power in Newport and coastal Rhode Island
Is there a RoseWater Energy dealer that serves Newport?
Is there a RoseWater Energy dealer that serves Newport?
Yes. Boston Backup Power is an authorized RoseWater Energy dealer and serves Newport, Aquidneck Island and the Rhode Island coast. We design the system, coordinate a licensed Rhode Island electrician, and support the system after RoseWater commissions it.
Can a HUB go in a historic Newport house?
Can a HUB go in a historic Newport house?
Usually, yes. A HUB goes indoors in a garage, basement or mechanical room and needs about 3.5 by 3 feet of floor space and 8 feet of height. Keeping it inside means nothing changes on the outside of the house.
Does a HUB protect against lightning?
Does a HUB protect against lightning?
It is built to. RoseWater uses non-sacrificial lightning and surge protection rated for up to 40 strikes of 140,000 volts, covering the grid input, solar input and standby power.
Plan Your Rhode Island System
Build a Power Plan for your home on the coast. We will look at the storm exposure, the house and what you want protected, then design a system around it.