Anyone else using a small inverter generator as a winter backup alongside their solar setup?

I've been running a Jackery 1000 Plus as my main battery/inverter unit through the summer with a couple of 200W panels on the roof of the shed, and honestly it's been brilliant. But now we're into November and I'm getting some pretty dismal days down here in Dorset — yesterday I got maybe 80Wh out of the panels all day. Not exactly inspiring.

I picked up a Honda EU22i a few weeks back specifically as a winter top-up. The plan is to run it for an hour or two on the worst days to keep the Jackery topped up enough to handle the evening loads (mainly a 12V fridge, a few LED lights, and charging laptops/phones). It pulls about 1.8A at the Jackery's input when I'm charging via the AC adapter, so roughly 200W — feels a bit slow for a 2.2kVA generator but I don't want to push the Jackery's inlet beyond what's rated.

Has anyone found a smarter way to charge from a petrol generator into one of these all-in-one units? I'm also wondering whether it's worth looking at a proper 12V or 48V LiFePO4 setup with a separate MPPT and a decent mains charger — something like a Victron IP22 — so I could at least throw 20-30A at the battery when the genny's running. Curious what others are doing for winter resilience.

DaiHughes65 | 847 posts | South Wales

@DorsetBoater Snap - nearly identical setup here except I've got a 300W panel. Summer was grand but October onwards it's a different story entirely, especially with all the overcast days we've been getting.

I picked up a Honda EU22i last winter and it's been a game changer as a backup alongside the Jackery. Quiet enough not to annoy the neighbours, and the fuel efficiency is genuinely impressive - a litre goes a surprisingly long way at eco throttle when you're just topping up the battery rather than running loads directly off it.

The trick I've found is not waiting until the Jackery drops too low before firing the generator up - keeping it above 30% and topping up regularly seems much kinder to the battery long term.

What panels are you running?

RussGreen | 312 posts | Array

Been through exactly this dilemma during my van build. Ended up with a Honda EU22i alongside my Victron/Fogstar setup — the inverter-type gennies are worth the premium over the cheaper open-frame ones, especially if you're running anything sensitive.

One thing worth considering: don't just run it to top up, actually integrate it properly into your charge controller setup so it kicks in at a set SOC threshold. Made a massive difference to how efficiently I was using fuel over last winter.

The EU22i will sip about 0.5-0.8L/hr at partial load — nowhere near as painful as you'd think across a whole winter season.

Only downside is noise if you've got neighbours close by. Might be worth checking if your local council has any restrictions on generator use hours.

JackShaw | 214 posts | Array

My garden office setup laughs at November sun too — switched to a cheap Chinese 2kW inverter genny as backup and honestly it's transformed winter working; Victron BMV tells me exactly when to fire it up rather than playing "is it charging or just pretending" roulette with the panels.

BatteryWez | 1,203 posts | Array

Running a similar winter backup situation in my shepherd's hut. One thing nobody's mentioned yet — generator sizing relative to your charging input. A lot of people buy a 2kW genny and then wonder why it's struggling or hunting badly at low load.

Worth checking what your Jackery actually accepts as max charging input. The 1000 Plus will take around 500W AC, so a Honda EU10i is honestly plenty and burns far less fuel than the bigger units at partial load.

I run an EU10i into my Victron setup and it's rock solid. Inverter generators specifically handle the fluctuating loads much better than cheaper open-frame ones — @JackShaw's cheap Chinese unit might work fine but watch the voltage regulation over time, I've seen those cause grief with sensitive electronics.

CumbrianWanderer | 847 posts | Cumbria

Worth mentioning — up here in Cumbria, November isn't just about low sun angles, it's about days on end without seeing the sun at all. My static caravan setup runs a Victron SmartSolar into a pair of Fogstar 100Ah lithium batteries, and some weeks the panels are essentially decorative.

I ended up with a small inverter genny purely for topping up the bank, not running loads directly. That distinction matters — you want it ticking over gently at 25-30% load charging through a decent MPPT or DC-DC unit, not hammering a kettle straight off the socket. Much kinder on fuel consumption and the generator itself.

The Honda EU22i that @RussGreen mentions is the gold standard, but the Hyundai HY2000Si gets surprisingly close for considerably less money if budget's tight.

Neil1982 | 467 posts | Yorkshire Dales

Same situation here — Jackery 2000 Pro with 400W of panels, and by mid-October I'm watching that state of charge like a hawk. I went for a Honda EU22i as my winter backup and honestly it's transformed the setup. Yes it's pricier than the Chinese alternatives @JackShaw mentioned, but the fuel efficiency at low load is genuinely impressive — I'm barely touching a litre an hour when it's just topping the batteries rather than running loads directly. @CumbrianWanderer's point about the north resonates — we get some properly grim weeks in January where I'd be completely stuffed without it. One thing I'd add is to sort your CO detector situation before you need it. Tempting to run these things in sheltered spots when it's bitter outside. Don't. Learned that lesson the sensible way, thankfully.