Back-Up/Alternate Electricity Supply Arrangements

I bought a used diesel welder and had the generator rebuilt and use it as a backup after been left with no electric to 2 weeks in below zero weather.

It works great and I just makde sure the people know to use microwave ovens to cook when the emergency generator is running. Getting people to use less electric is hard even in an emergency.

Be sure to pull the main because your power could kill an electric workers on a pole somewhere trying to repair their system.

plenty of sets are available.I think you should go in for one of those DG sets with noise limiting enclosure.With engines emission normal already stringent noise levels of 75dB at 1 M distance is available.These are available in the ratings you have mentioned.There are also sets in enclosures with water cooled engine alternator which run with very low noise around 50dB.Google search will reveal no of vendors.best of luck

Diesel is good for backup supply when the local grid goes down. A solar photovoltaic system works great in the daytime, but what do you do at night if the electric grid is still down? A solar steam-engine powered generator using mirrors to make steam would work during the day and running the same steam engine using fuel and a water-tube boiler would work at night. Only half as much fuel as a diesel and it could be a much cheaper fuel too. It would also be very quiet.

You might have to have the unit custom built. See Greensteamengine.com, David Brown's steam page, Cyclone and Lynx steam engines. All you need is a few skilled people and an idea of what you want, then turn them loose on it.