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"I know that if
another hurricane comes, it's life
as usual," he says. On his street,
seven of 16 neighbors have
generators, too.
The standby power
generator, like an iPod, is the
latest must-have gizmo. No, not
those noisy, portable generators
that require incessant refueling.
Along the Gulf Coast and beyond,
weather-weary Americans are
investing up to tens of thousands
of dollars in propane- or natural
gas-run generators that
automatically click on when the
power is out, running major
appliances - even the air
conditioning.
The standby
generator industry grew five-fold
between 2000 and 2005 to a more
than $500 million industry,
according to Generac Power
Systems, the nation's largest
generator manufacturer. At Home
Depot "it's a huge, huge market,"
says Bill Palmer, a buyer for the
nation's largest home improvement
retailer. "The growth has been
something we're extremely happy
with," he says, though he would
not discuss sales numbers.
Once used almost
exclusively by hospitals and
businesses that couldn't afford to
lose power, standby generators are
now being snatched up by wealthy
and middle-class homeowners, many
of whom have endured a week or
more with no power. They are
popular even in the Midwest and
Northeast where storms and power
shortages have caused blackouts.
The biggest sellers range from
$2,000 to $3,000. People must also
pay for the installation permits
and inspection fees.
In Miami, many are
buying larger models to ensure
comfort after the next hurricane,
says Oriol Torres Haage, chief of
electrical compliance in
Miami-Dade County.
In October,
hurricane Wilma left millions of
people, mostly in South Florida,
without power for up to two weeks.
A couple of years ago county
inspectors rarely saw standby
generators in homes. Today they
inspect up to 100 a week, Mr.
Hagge says.
"[People] want the
Cadillac of power. They don't want
to be short of any necessity - air
conditioning or anything else," he
says. "The numbers are
outrageous."
In Houston, one in
five customers asks for standby
generators as part of their
building plans, something seldom
seen a few years ago, says Ron
Gholston, president of Gold Star
Custom Builders.
Predictions for
another active hurricane season
and lower interest rates on home
equity loans are fueling demand. A
recent survey by the Propane
Education & Research Council found
that nearly half of residents in
hurricane-prone areas expect to
lose power for 24 hours or more in
the next six months. A quarter
said they owned generators.
Most people buy
generators to prevent food from
spoiling, to keep the air
conditioning running, and to
remain on top of the news, says
Brian Feehan, the council's
managing director of engine fuel
programs. Standby generators are
less noisy and require less
refueling than portable ones,
which can cause carbon monoxide
accidents. They run on propane or
natural gas - not gasoline, which
is scarce after a hurricane.
A standby
generator can be a source of pride
for homeowners, Mr. Palmer says.
"It's becoming a status symbol,"
he says. "You have the ability to
make that huge house run in the
wake of a storm."
Bobby Landeche
evacuated to Texas from his home
in the New Orleans suburb of
Hahnville, La., before hurricane
Katrina swept ashore last August.
When he returned a few days later,
his four-bedroom home was not only
standing, it was air conditioned.
Mr. Landeche, who
owns a consulting business,
invested $2,715 in a standby
generator when his home was built
in 2004. The 12,000-watt
generator, which operates one side
of the house as well as major
appliances, runs on natural gas.
"I grew up in this
area, and we deal with hurricanes
on a yearly basis," he says. "You
don't have all the amenities, but
you darn well have a bunch of
them."
At 40,000 watts,
Biewend's generator, anchored
outside next to his air
conditioner, can power the whole
four-bedroom house. The last time
he lost electricity, he didn't
even notice. Biewend talks about
spending time with his family and
cooking a nice meal during the
next hurricane.
"I don't think
we'll have a hurricane party," he
says, "but it will be close." |