Minnesota has the kind of weather that makes power outages consequential. Ice storms in November. Blizzards in January. Severe thunderstorms in July. When the grid goes down and the temperature is below zero, a power outage isn't an inconvenience — it's a serious problem for your pipes, your heat, and anything in your freezer.
Standby generators exist specifically for this situation. Unlike portable generators — which you have to pull out of storage, refuel, and connect manually — a standby generator is permanently installed, monitors for power outages, and starts automatically within seconds. You can be asleep when the power goes out, and the generator will handle it.
How a Standby Generator Works
A standby generator is installed outside your home, similar to a central air conditioning unit. It connects to your natural gas or propane supply (so there's no refueling during an outage) and to your electrical panel through an automatic transfer switch. The transfer switch continuously monitors utility power. When it detects an outage, it disconnects your home from the grid, starts the generator, and switches your home's circuits to generator power — all automatically, usually within 10-30 seconds.
When utility power returns, the transfer switch reverses the process and shuts down the generator. The whole thing happens without you touching anything.
Sizing: What's Right for Your Home
Generator sizing is the part that most homeowners get wrong when they go it alone. The generator needs to be big enough to handle the starting load of your largest motor-driven appliances (refrigerator, furnace blower, AC compressor, sump pump) simultaneously, not just the running load.
Most Twin Cities homeowners land in one of two camps:
- Essential circuits only (10-14 kW): Covers your furnace, refrigerator, sump pump, some lights, and selected outlets. Your AC won't run, but you'll stay warm and comfortable during an outage.
- Whole-home coverage (20-22 kW): Covers everything including central air conditioning. You won't notice the power is out except for the hum of the generator outside.
We do a proper load calculation before recommending a size — we're not going to sell you a 22 kW unit if a 14 kW will do the job.
Natural Gas vs. Propane
Most standby generators in the Twin Cities run on natural gas, which is the simplest option if your home is already connected to a gas line. Natural gas supply is unaffected by power outages (it doesn't require electric pumps to run at the residential distribution level), so your generator can run indefinitely during an extended outage.
For homes without natural gas, propane is the alternative. A properly sized propane tank can run a generator for several days, and propane is available throughout rural areas of the metro.
What Does Installation Involve?
A standby generator installation involves several trades working together: the generator pad and electrical work (us), gas line extension (a licensed plumber or gas fitter), and sometimes a utility notification. We coordinate the full process, pull the required permits, and handle all inspections. Most installations are completed in one to two days.
Is It Worth It?
That depends on your situation. If you have well water (no power means no water), medical equipment that requires electricity, a sump pump in a wet basement, or you've been through one too many Minnesota winters without heat, the answer is usually yes. Standby generators also add home value — buyers in the Twin Cities market recognize the practical value of backup power.
Hawkins Electric installs standby generators from Generac, Kohler, Briggs & Stratton, and Cummins throughout the Twin Cities. Give us a call to talk through whether a generator makes sense for your home.