Solar battery storage or petrol generator?

In the last month we've had 2 black outs and needing a fix but unsure which way to go. Current ppor has solar but no battery storage to use at night or during blackouts. I don't know enough about solar battery's and how much they store, and if they are usually full enough to last a night and so on. I do know they cost around 7k for a decent one.

The minimum I need to run is my fridge/water pump for drinking and toilet, and a lamp or 2 in the house until power gets restored. I've calculated I need roughly 3.5kva portable generator for the job which costs under 1k.

The other alternative is to buy a bigger unit generator that can run the aircon and other stuff in the house but will cost around 5k plus 3k install.

Those with battery storage or generators can you chip in with some advice please on pros and cons and which way you went?

Cheers

 

I was initially going to buy a generator but, in the end, I went with battery storage.

Main reason is that if one is not home and the generator runs out of fuel. End of story (we travel a lot).

Our house has security cameras, fileserver hosting our own emails, our own effluent plant, electric gates, electric garage doors, etc. So, power reliability was more important than cost.

Your situation may be different.

We have had battery storage for more than 5 years. Never not had power to the house, even during blackouts.

We have two separate solar arrays. One array has the job is of charging the battery. The second one pumps power back into the grid (our FIT is 52c). This configuration means that our battery is being charged even during a blackout by the first array; the second array shuts down during blackouts for network safety reasons.

 

Awesome thank you. Mind if I ask which battery you went with and cost?
I should add we currently have an 8kw system in place, roughly 6 months of the year we are credited back from sending to grid, but during the remaining colder months we end up using the credit and then some more.