• "During the last hurricane we had to close our office because we lost electricity, and therefore, we couldn't service our clients who were frantically trying to reach us to file insurance claims. With the PowerReady™ IPS™ we can remain open under almost any circumstances."
    Peggy Waite, State Farm Insurance, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
  • "I discovered the PowerReady™ IPS™ through a patient and purchased one for my medical office shortly thereafter. We've experienced a few power outages since then and the IPS kept my operating room equipment, computers and telephones running seamlessly throughout each. I'm pleased, and the peace of mind it provides is more than worth the modest cost."
    Dr. Dwight Reynolds, Coral Springs, Florida
  • "Our neighbors installed a gas generator after a year of headaches with permitting and installation. It's large, loud and ugly, emits fumes and CO2 and costs them alot to maintain. In fact, during the last outage, it cost them $1260 to run it! When we heard about the PowerReady™ IPS™ we were elated. It's eco-friendly and requires no permitting, no huge investment, no fuel, no money to run and no maintenance! We would recommend it to everyone!"
    Greg Fahs, Hialeah, Florida
  • "Zoning laws in my development prohibit the installation of a standby generator. I searched high and low for a product that's silent, not dangerous to operate and eco-friendly. I was so happy to find the indoor, gas free PowerReady™ IPS™! Not only do I enjoy the security of having it at home, but I've used it 3 times at the office when power failed on the day of a closing!"
    Maria Elena Arias, CEO, Colonial Guarantee & Title, Boca Raton, Florida
  • "My mother uses an oxygen tank, we bought her a PowerReady™ IPS™ in the event of a power loss. Her development lost electricity and it didn't come back on for 3 days! She was on battery power for 72 hours!!! Thanks to PowerReady we have peace of mind."
    Elizabeth Carter, Princeton, New Jersey

Boca Firm Sells Battery-Powered Generators as Safe for Indoors

Reported by: Allison Ross
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

BOCA RATON, FL: A local company is looking to shake up people’s hurricane-preparation routines this season. That is, at least when it comes to their generators.

PowerReady International, which just opened its doors in January, is selling a battery-powered generator that it touts as noise-free, odor-free and pollution-free.

But one of its boldest assertions, especially in this market, is that it’s safe to use inside the home.

South Florida residents, used to warnings about generators’ toxic carbon monoxide fumes, have spent the years since the 2004 storm season learning to keep their backup generators far from the house.

But PowerReady’s generator runs on a battery instead of gasoline; the company keeps one of the generators running for demonstrations inside its office.

The emission-free battery of the PowerReady Indoor Power System 12,000 provides, as the name implies, 12,000 watts of power - 3,000 of which can be used at any one time - and is connected to an uninterrupted power supply system that allows the generator to start automatically if the power goes out.

With conservative use, the generator can be used for about four days before needing to be recharged, said Bill Dato, PowerReady’s general manager.

“When we demo the product, people look at it and think it’s magic,” Dato said. “It’s the only power system that’s portable and requires no permits. Once you receive delivery, you can plug it in and it’s ready to go.”

The generator costs about $9,000, with added shipping costs for people outside of Broward and Palm Beach counties. However, Dato said the PowerReady IPS doesn’t have the expense of gasoline, nor does it need permits to be installed, as it can be kept in any room in the house.

The company began selling the units in March. But Dato said the company will have sold about 50 by the end of this month to people around the country.

A potential hitch in those plans may be that many people, as Dato claims, are interested in the unit because it’s touted as “environmentally friendly.”

While PowerReady’s Web site states that the generator is “green certified,” Dato admits that the generator is still in the process of getting certified and that they will soon be adding the word “pending” to the site.

However, a call on Tuesday to the company that is supposed to be working on certifying the product said the first they had heard from PowerReady was on Monday, the day before.

The problems the company is running into are overcoming the stigma against having a generator inside the home, and what to do when the battery does run out.

Once the battery’s charge is exhausted, it must be recharged, and if the power is out, the only options are using another generator - likely gas-powered - a costly solar panel or a car battery.

Nevertheless, many people who have heard about the PowerReady IPS are excited about its potential.

Boca Raton resident Maria Elena Arias, 51, bought a generator from the company about a month ago, and said she tells her friends to do the same.

Although she has not had to use it, Arias said she likes how simple it is, and how it’s portable and can be taken with her if she moves.

“I’m kind of afraid of propane and gasoline. This is really perfect for me … to make it through a storm,” Arias said.

Dato said PowerReady hopes to sell 350 to 500 units by the end of the year. But he said the company is more focused on setting up dealers and distributors to do the selling for them.

He said he hopes to have completed contracts with 50 dealers by 2009.

PowerReady is working on a contract with All Power Supply, a portable power equipment distributor in Fort Lauderdale.

Mark Plummer, All Power Supply’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer, said he became interested in becoming a distributor because he thought it catered to a good niche of people in South Florida.

“It’s a great option for places like condos where you can’t use generators or don’t want to use gas,” Plummer said.

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