Standby Generators & Backup Power in Rohnert Park, CA
Sized to what your home or business actually needs — not the biggest unit on the lot — with the permit, the pad, and the gas line handled start to finish.
Sized to Your Actual Load, Not the Biggest Unit We Sell — a real load calculation tells us whether you need whole-home coverage or a smaller, essential-circuits setup — and we'll tell you honestly which one fits.
Outdoor, Permitted, Inspected — Not a Garage Gamble — a properly installed standby generator sits outside on its own pad with an automatic transfer switch, a fundamentally safer setup than a portable unit rolled into a garage during a storm.
Built for PSPS, Not Just Marketed at It — PG&E shutoffs in this county can run two to five days — we size and fuel your system to actually get through one, not just survive the first evening.
★★★★★
5.0 · 27 Google reviews
20+ years
in the trade
CSLB #1156335
licensed · bonded · insured
Sonoma County
owned & operated
Standby Generators & Backup Power
Why Rohnert Park Chooses Bright Right
- We calculate your real load before recommending a size — not an inflated number designed to sell more generator than you need.
- Based right here on Holly Ave — no trip charge for driving up from the city.
- One licensed contractor handles the electrical connection, the transfer switch, the permit, and the panel work if it's needed — nobody gets bounced between trades.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
What Is a Standby Generator, and Who Actually Needs One?
A standby generator is a permanently installed backup power system that sits outside a home or business on its own pad, wired into the electrical panel through an automatic transfer switch, ready to start on its own the moment utility power fails. Unlike a portable generator, which has to be rolled out, fueled, and plugged in by hand during a storm, a standby system detects the outage itself and typically restores power within 10 to 30 seconds — no midnight scramble in the rain required.
In Rohnert Park and across Sonoma County, that matters for a specific, recurring reason: PG&E's Public Safety Power Shutoffs. These aren't rare events here. Add in the rural properties on well water throughout unincorporated Sonoma County — where a power outage means no water at all, not just no lights — and a standby generator moves from convenience to something closer to a necessity for a lot of households. The same logic applies to businesses that can't afford a multi-day outage: wineries protecting a barrel room, restaurants protecting a walk-in cooler, offices that need to keep operating.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
Our Generator Installation Process
01
Site Visit & Load Calculation
We look at your panel, your property, and the specific circuits that matter to you — whole home or just the essentials — no charge to find out.
02
Sizing & Written Quote
A real, itemized number based on the generator size your load calculation actually supports, not a guess.
03
Permitting
We pull the required electrical permit and coordinate with the gas provider for the fuel line.
04
Pad & Site Prep
The generator sits on a level concrete pad with proper clearances from windows, doors, and property lines.
05
Installation
Transfer switch, panel connection, and gas line tie-in — typically one to two days of on-site work.
06
Commissioning & Inspection
A full system test under load, followed by the county inspection, then we walk you through how it actually works.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
How Much Does a Standby Generator Cost in Rohnert Park?
A fully installed whole-house standby generator typically runs
What actually drives the number: the generator's size, whether your property runs on natural gas or needs a propane tank, and how much site work the installation requires. The price covers the generator, the concrete pad, the automatic transfer switch, the gas line connection, the permit, and the inspection as one project — not a base price with everything else billed as change orders later.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
Standby Generator vs. Portable Generator — and Why the Safety Story Isn't the Same
| Standby Generator | Portable Generator | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts | Automatically, in 10–30 seconds | Manually — someone has to roll it out and start it |
| Location | Permanent pad outside the home | Wherever it's placed for the outage — often too close to the house |
| Runtime | Runs on natural gas or propane, effectively unlimited fuel | Limited by gasoline on hand; needs refueling mid-outage |
| Real safety risk | Low when professionally installed, permitted, and inspected | The dominant source of generator-related carbon monoxide deaths |
That last row is worth taking seriously, not glossing over. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates roughly 80 to 100 deaths per year from carbon monoxide poisoning tied to portable generators — and its own data shows most of those happen when a unit is run in a garage, a basement, or too close to a home's windows and doors. A standby generator sits outdoors on its own pad, wired through code-compliant connections and inspected before it's ever used, which is a fundamentally different safety picture.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
What's Included in Our Standby Generator & Backup Power Work
Whole-Home Standby Generator Installation
A fully sized system that covers your entire property — central air, kitchen appliances, and every circuit — so an outage barely changes how your day goes.
Essential-Circuits / Critical-Loads Setup
A smaller, less expensive system wired to just the loads that actually matter — refrigerator, well pump, a few outlets — for households that don't need or want whole-home coverage.
Automatic Transfer Switch Installation
The device that detects the outage, disconnects your property from the grid, and starts the generator — also what prevents backfeeding power into utility lines, a real hazard for line workers without one.
Natural Gas & Propane Fuel Connections
If gas service already reaches your property, that's usually the simpler path; for rural properties without it, we size and coordinate a propane tank built for extended outages, not just an evening.
PSPS-Ready Sizing for Sonoma County
Generators sized and fueled to actually get through a multi-day Public Safety Power Shutoff, not just the first few hours of one.
Well Pump & Rural Property Backup Power
For properties on well water throughout unincorporated Sonoma County, we size the load calculation to include the well pump — because no power there means no water, not just no lights.
Generator Maintenance & Service Plans
Annual service — oil, filters, coolant checks, transfer-switch testing — because a neglected generator is the most common reason one fails during the outage it was bought for.
Commercial & Winery Backup Power
Three-phase power, load management, and sizing built around what a specific business actually can't afford to lose — a barrel room, a walk-in cooler, a server closet — not a one-size commercial unit.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
Why Rohnert Park Chooses Bright Right Electric
We Size It Honestly
a real load calculation, not a bigger number because it's a bigger sale.
Local, Minutes Away
based at 1150 Holly Ave, with no trip charge for driving up from the city.
Licensed, Bonded & Insured
CSLB #1156335, verifiable directly with the Contractors State License Board
One Contractor, Start to Finish
electrical connection, transfer switch, permit, and panel work if it's needed, all under one license.
08 ─────── Reviews
What Rohnert Park Customers Are Saying
"This is the most professional company I have ever worked with. I am a difficult person and hard to please (I have really high standards (as a retired science teacher) and I am skeptical of workmen and I'm a perfectionist!). Bright Right is currently working on the 3rd job I have hired them for – everything has gone smoothly, no stress at all!!! They are so friendly and so courteous. Rick and Dustin are an effective team with their two unique personalities – both very upbeat, serious, and kind. They explain everything in detail and answer all my questions (I am hyper-concerned about my property), and they are basically experienced, conscientious electricians you can trust."
— Nora Parker · Google Review
"I recently hired Dustin for some electrical work at my home, and I couldn't be happier with the results. He installed a high-quality bathroom fan, finished installing several outlets around the house, and completed a new electrical panel installation. From start to finish, Dustin was professional, knowledgeable, and clearly takes pride in doing the job right. The new panel installation was the bigger job, and Dustin handled it with real expertise. Everything was organized, labeled, and done to a very high standard, which gave me a lot of confidence in the safety and quality of the work."
— Google Review
"Bright Right did the electrical for our kitchen remodel and we couldn't be happier, we have since then added an EV with them and they were as good as the first time. Highly recommend!"
— Joey Evans · Google Review
"Shout out to Dustin Fildes, the electrician they sent to do the work at my house. You can tell he takes pride in his work. He's a very professional and very friendly. Individual would absolutely recommend Bright Right Electric and specifically Dustin to all my family and friends. Thank you Bright Right"
— Robert Horner, Google Review
Google Business Profile
5.0
Across 27 Google reviews
Standby Generators & Backup Power
Serving Rohnert Park and the Greater North Bay
Bright Right Electric installs standby generators throughout Rohnert Park — the lettered sections, the University District around Sonoma State University, and the businesses along Commerce Boulevard and Redwood Drive — and out to Cotati, Penngrove, Petaluma, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Windsor, Healdsburg, Sonoma, and Cloverdale, including the rural, well-water properties throughout unincorporated Sonoma County. Coverage extends into Marin County (San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, Sausalito, Larkspur, Corte Madera, San Anselmo, Fairfax, and Tiburon) and Napa County. If your property isn't listed, call anyway — the answer is usually yes.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a whole-house generator cost?
A fully installed system typically runs $8,000 to $18,000, with a common 20-kilowatt natural-gas unit landing around $10,000 to $14,000.
What size generator do I need for my house?
It depends on which circuits need to stay powered — essential-only setups typically use 10 to 16 kilowatts, while whole-home coverage, including central AC, typically needs 20 kilowatts or more. A load calculation gives you the real number.
How does a standby generator work?
An automatic transfer switch detects the outage, disconnects your property from the grid, and starts the generator, typically restoring power within 10 to 30 seconds.
Standby generator vs. portable generator — what's the real difference?
A standby unit is a permanent, automatically-starting fixture wired into your panel; a portable generator has to be manually placed, fueled, and started, and is far more limited in total output.
Are generators safe, or is carbon monoxide a real risk?
The real risk is concentrated almost entirely in portable generators run indoors or in enclosed spaces — the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's own data shows most CO deaths happen exactly that way. A properly installed standby generator sits outdoors and is inspected before use.
Can a generator send power back into the utility lines and hurt a line worker?
Without a properly installed automatic transfer switch, yes — that's exactly the hazard a transfer switch is designed to prevent by fully disconnecting your property from the grid before the generator starts.
How long can a standby generator run during an extended outage?
With adequate fuel — natural gas is effectively unlimited, propane depends on tank size — a standby generator can run continuously through a multi-day outage, including a typical two-to-five-day PG&E PSPS event.
How often does a generator need maintenance?
Manufacturers generally recommend service every 200 running hours or once a year, whichever comes first. Skipped maintenance is the leading reason generators fail during an actual outage.
Natural gas or propane — which should I choose?
Natural gas is simpler where service already reaches the property; propane, with an adequately sized tank, is the standard choice for rural properties without gas service.
How loud is a whole-house generator?
Modern units typically run 60 to 68 decibels at about 23 feet — roughly the volume of a normal conversation — and correct placement keeps this from becoming an issue with neighbors.
Get in touch
Get a Free, Written Quote for Standby Power
Whether it's whole-home coverage for the next PSPS event, a smaller essential-circuits setup, or backup power sized around what your business genuinely can't afford to lose — the quote starts with a real load calculation, not a guess.
Phone
(707) 791-5552
(tap to call)
Address
1150 Holly Ave, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Hours
7am - 5pm & 24 hour emergency services available.
15 ─────── Full service detail
Electrical Panel Upgrades in Rohnert Park
Replacing an undersized or obsolete panel is the most common job we perform in Rohnert Park, and it's the one that unlocks everything else. If your home still runs original 100-amp service, a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, or a Zinsco panel, you're working with equipment engineered for a much smaller electrical load — and, in the case of those two brands, with a documented history of breakers that fail to trip. Upgrading to 200-amp service makes EV charging, battery backup, heat pumps, and modern appliance loads possible without constantly tripping breakers. We size the new service to what your household actually needs, pull the permit, coordinate the PG&E disconnect and reconnect, and meet the inspector for final sign-off.
EV Charger Installation in Sonoma County
Bright Right installs Level 2 home charging sized to your vehicle and, just as importantly, to your panel's actual available capacity. We run the dedicated 240-volt circuit, mount and commission the charger, and handle the permit — installing Tesla Wall Connectors, universal J1772 and NACS units, and hardwired or plug-in setups across Rohnert Park, Petaluma, and Santa Rosa. The detail most homeowners don't hear until it's too late is that many Sonoma County panels can't support a Level 2 charger without a service upgrade first, so we run a load calculation before you buy equipment, not after. We can also pre-wire a second circuit if a second EV is anywhere in your future.
Standby Generators & Backup Power
Public safety power shutoffs are a fact of life in Sonoma County, and so are winter storms that take lines down in the hills. We install whole-house standby generators with automatic transfer switches that pick up the house within seconds of an outage, wire inlets and manual transfer switches for portable generators, and add whole-house surge protection so your equipment isn't damaged when the utility comes back online. We'll also tell you honestly which tier makes sense — not every home in Cotati or Penngrove needs a whole-house unit when a critical-loads panel that keeps the refrigerator, well pump, internet, and a few circuits alive costs a fraction as much.
Solar & Battery Systems
We handle new photovoltaic installation, battery storage, system additions, and remove-and-replace work when a roof needs attention or a system has failed — plus service on existing arrays that aren't producing what they should. If you inherited a solar system with the house and nobody can tell you how it's wired or whether it's still under warranty, we can assess it and give you a clear picture. Battery storage in particular has changed the math for Sonoma County homeowners: between shifting utility rate structures under NEM 3.0 and the frequency of outages, a battery paired with existing solar is often a better investment than adding more panels.
Interior & Exterior Lighting
Recessed and can lighting, full LED retrofits, under-cabinet lighting, dimmer and smart-switch installation, fixture and chandelier hanging, landscape lighting, and security and motion-sensor lighting for homes across Rohnert Park and the University District. On the commercial side we handle lighting retrofits for offices, retail spaces, and warehouses along the Commerce Boulevard corridor, including the fixture and control changes that come with California Title 24 compliance. Lighting is one of the few electrical upgrades where the difference is immediately visible, and it's frequently the cheapest way to make a dated room feel finished.
Electrical Troubleshooting & Repair
Breakers that trip for no obvious reason, circuits that go dead, lights that flicker when the dryer starts, outlets that no longer hold a plug, GFCIs that won't reset, a faint burning smell you can't locate. These are the calls where experience shows. We trace a fault to its real source instead of swapping parts and billing for guesses, which is why our repairs hold and why we get called in behind other contractors who couldn't find the problem. In older Sonoma County homes the cause is often a failing backstab connection, a corroded neutral, a rodent-damaged run in a crawlspace, or a decades-old junction box buried behind drywall.
Custom Homes & New Construction
Full electrical for ground-up residential builds, major remodels, and additions throughout Sonoma, Marin, and Napa County — load calculations and plan review, service and meter setup, rough-in, trim, and final inspection. We work with general contractors, designers, and owner-builders, and we're comfortable on high-end custom projects near Sonoma State University where the lighting design, low-voltage layout, and smart controls all have to be coordinated before a single wire goes in. Getting the details right at rough-in is what keeps a home safe and functional for the next forty years — and it's far cheaper than fixing it after the drywall is up.
Commercial Electrical & Tenant Improvement
Service upgrades, panel and subpanel work, dedicated circuits for equipment, lighting retrofits, EV charging for employee and customer parking, and full tenant-improvement electrical for offices, retail, restaurants, and light industrial space along Redwood Drive and beyond. We understand a commercial job runs on someone else's schedule, so we work around business hours when the scope requires it. From a single dedicated circuit to a complete build-out, you get one licensed contractor coordinating permits, PG&E, and inspection — with clear pricing and a clean, code-compliant result.