Backup Power in
Whole-home battery backup and standby generators for the summer houses of Watch Hill, Weekapaug and Misquamicut and the rest of Westerly.
Build Your Power PlanWatch Hill's big Victorian summer cottages have stayed in the same families for generations. Westerly has learned over those same years that its power can fail from the river side as well as the ocean side.
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 Watch Hill and Westerly
In the March 2010 Pawcatuck River flood, high water caused a complete failure of the National Grid substation. The town's hazard plan says nearly 10,000 Westerly residents were affected by the flooding and outages, and one cut-off neighborhood had its electricity shut off for nearly a week.
The ocean side has its own record. The 1938 hurricane brought a 12-foot surge, destroyed the road to Napatree Point and the cottages on it, and left virtually all of Rhode Island without power, 10 percent of customers for 12 days. Sandy in 2012 flooded Watch Hill village and destroyed many of the dunes along Misquamicut. Henri made landfall near Westerly in 2021.
Who supplies the power
Rhode Island Energy provides Westerly's gas and electric service and owns the poles, lines and substations. One of the town's two substations, on Canal Street, sits in the AE flood zone, and the town's hazard plan calls it vulnerable to flooding.
Which system fits a Watch Hill and Westerly home?
We install all three, so we can recommend the one that suits the house and the budget.
Savant Power
For a smaller shore cottage or an in-town Westerly house, Savant Power adds Savant Power Storage and relay modules in the panel, and you choose which circuits get backup.
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
For a long outage like the week after the 2010 flood, a standby generator behind a battery, or on its own, keeps the house going as long as the fuel lasts.
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 Watch Hill and Westerly
About 13 percent of Westerly, 549 acres, is in the VE flood zone, including the barrier beaches in front of the salt ponds, part of the Watch Hill peninsula and Napatree Point, where the only protection is the barrier beach itself. On those lots, a HUB or battery goes in a raised room or garage, never a basement.
In 2019 the town and the Watch Hill Conservancy buried utility lines along half a mile of Bay Street. That helps the village center. It does nothing for a substation that floods or a line down elsewhere.
Permits in Watch Hill and Westerly
Watch Hill is a National Register historic district, but we have not found a Westerly local historic commission that reviews equipment, or a town page specific to generators. Permits go through the town building office, and the connections are made by licensed Rhode Island electricians and gas installers.
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 Watch Hill and Westerly
Watch Hill floods. Where would the HUB go?
Watch Hill floods. Where would the HUB go?
Above the flood level, usually in a garage, a raised mechanical room or an upper floor. The HUB40 can also go outdoors in RoseWater's enclosure, and near salt water we check that spot with RoseWater's engineers.
Our house is empty in winter. What does the system do while we are away?
Our house is empty in winter. What does the system do while we are away?
It keeps the protected circuits running through outages with no gap, so heat, freeze protection, sump pumps, the network and cameras stay on. Remote access shows you the house is fine.
What does a RoseWater system cost for a Watch Hill house?
What does a RoseWater system cost for a Watch Hill house?
Most RoseWater projects run between $125,000 and $1,000,000, depending on the house and what has to stay on. We give you a clear proposal after the Power Plan and a site visit.
Ready to plan backup power in Watch Hill and Westerly?
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.