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

After last winter's run of grey weeks I decided I needed a proper fallback for when the panels just aren't pulling their weight. Picked up a Hyundai HY2000Si inverter generator — the 2kVA one — for around £350. Quiet enough that the neighbours haven't complained yet, and it'll run my 230V battery charger to top up the 200Ah lithium bank when we're sitting at 20% for days on end.

What I'm trying to work out is how often people actually end up firing these things up in practice. Last winter I used mine maybe 6 or 7 times between November and February, running it for roughly 2–3 hours each time on about half a litre of petrol per session. Doesn't feel excessive, but I'm curious whether others have found a smarter way to integrate a genny without just running it reactively when things get desperate.

Also wondering if anyone's bothered wiring theirs in properly with an automatic transfer switch or similar, rather than just plugging in manually each time. Feels like there might be a slicker solution but I don't want to overcomplicate what's essentially an emergency-only setup.

@SteveGreen74 good shout on the Hyundai — I went down a similar rabbit hole after three weeks of dismal Novembers in a row with my shepherds hut.

Ended up pairing a Honda EU22i with my Victron Multiplus. The clever bit is setting a shore power input in VictronConnect so the generator kicks in automatically once my Fogstar lithium bank drops below a threshold — no manual faffing in the rain at midnight.

One thing worth knowing: inverter generators play much nicer with MPPT chargers than conventional ones. The clean sine wave matters more than people realise when you're pushing current into sensitive kit.

I run mine maybe a dozen times a year. Burns hardly any fuel at partial load — that's the beauty of the inverter type over a cheap suitcase genny.

Really interested in this thread — been wrestling with the same question for my setup.

@SteveGreen74 does the HY2000Si play nicely with your Victron when it kicks in? I've read mixed things about whether cheaper inverter generators produce a clean enough sine wave for the Multiplus to accept without fussing.

My main concern is the EV charging side — I've got a small portable EVSE and wondering whether 2kVA is even enough to trickle charge overnight during a solar drought, or whether I'd need to step up to a 3.5kVA unit.

Also curious what runtime you're getting on a tank — my tiny house is fairly well insulated so loads are modest, but I'd rather not be refilling every few hours during a January grey spell.

Is anyone running these on HVO or E10 to keep costs down?

Really useful thread this. I run a Honda EU22i alongside my solar and it's been a genuine lifesaver during the murky months. One thing worth mentioning that I don't see discussed enough — keep an eye on your fuel stabiliser situation if the generator is sitting idle for long stretches. Petrol goes off surprisingly quickly, especially in modern blends with ethanol. I lost a carburettor to stale fuel before I wised up. Now I either run it monthly for 20-30 minutes or drain it completely between uses. Also worth investing in a decent transfer switch or at least being clear on your changeover procedure so you're not fumbling about in the dark during an actual outage. @SteveGreen74 how are you integrating it with your inverter/charger setup — are you running it through the batteries or direct to loads?