Picture this: a summer monsoon rolls through Scottsdale at 6 p.m. on a Friday. The grid blinks, your refrigerator goes silent, and your home security system drops offline. If you run a medical or dental office or you’re hosting a dinner party in North Scottsdale, that’s not an inconvenience — it’s a crisis. Whole-Home Backup Power Installation is the answer most homeowners in Maricopa County wish they had installed before the lights went out the first time. At FHR Electric, we design, install, and commission complete backup power systems so that a grid outage is nothing more than a minor blip you barely notice.
Arizona summers are no joke. When the mercury tops 110°F in Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, and Fountain Hills and the grid gets hammered by peak demand, outages aren’t a matter of if — they’re a matter of when. We’ve watched too many homeowners cobble together an extension cord to a portable generator and call it a plan. That is not a plan. A properly sized, professionally installed whole-home backup power system means your HVAC keeps running, your refrigerator stays cold, your medical equipment stays online, your EV stays charged, and your family stays comfortable — no matter what the utility company is doing.
The Real Problem: Your Home Was Never Designed for a Grid Failure
Most homes in Scottsdale and across Maricopa County were wired for a time when the grid was rock-solid and nobody needed to think about what happens when it goes down. Today, those same homes are running a Level 2 EV charger, a new high-efficiency HVAC system, a whole-house water softener, smart home automation, and a commercial-grade kitchen — often all on a panel that’s 20 or 30 years old. When the grid drops, there is no graceful handoff. Everything just stops.
If your breaker keeps tripping or your lights dim when a large appliance kicks on, that’s your electrical system telling you it’s already overloaded. Adding a backup power system to an undersized or aging panel without first addressing the underlying capacity issues is like putting a high-performance engine in a car with worn-out brakes. We look at the whole picture — not just the generator or battery — because that’s the only way to get it right.
Our Whole-Home Backup Power Solutions
We are not a box-store installer who drops a unit in your garage and hands you a manual. We are licensed electrical contractors who engineer a complete system matched to your home’s actual load requirements, your lifestyle, and your budget. Here is what we install and support:
Standby Generators (Natural Gas & Propane)
A whole-house standby generator is the gold standard. It starts automatically within seconds of a power failure — you don’t have to go outside, pull a cord, or do anything at all. We handle the sizing (whole house generator sizing matters enormously — too small and your HVAC won’t start; too large and you’ve wasted money), the dedicated circuit and transfer switch installation, the gas line coordination, and the city permit. Every installation is permitted and inspected, which protects your homeowner’s insurance and your home’s resale value.
Home Battery Storage Systems
Home battery storage has matured dramatically. Systems like the Tesla Powerwall, Enphase IQ Battery, and Franklin WH units can carry critical circuits through most short outages silently and without any fuel. For Tesla owners and EV households in particular, pairing a home battery with your existing solar or grid connection creates a genuinely resilient energy ecosystem. We wire the battery system, commission it, and make sure the rapid shutdown and surge protection components meet current Arizona code — because a battery system installed without proper surge suppressor wiring and rapid shutdown provisions is a liability, not an asset.
Transfer Switches & Critical Circuit Selection
If you’re not ready for a full whole-home system, a properly installed transfer switch on the right circuits is still a massive upgrade over nothing. We help you think through what circuits to run on generator — typically HVAC, refrigerator, select lighting, medical equipment, internet, and security — and we install a manual or automatic transfer switch that isolates those circuits safely. This is not a DIY project. Improper transfer switch wiring is one of the most common causes of lineman injury during storm restoration, and it voids your insurance.
Panel Upgrades to Support Backup Systems
A backup power system is only as reliable as the panel it connects to. If your main panel is an old split bus breaker panel or — worse — a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok replacement candidate, we will tell you plainly before we install anything. An FPE panel is not only a backup power problem; it’s an insurance problem. Many carriers in Arizona will not renew or will surcharge policies on homes with known hazardous panels. We handle the new circuit installation, the panel upgrade, and the coordination with your utility — all under one permit, all done right the first time.
Whole-Home Surge Protection
Every backup power installation we do includes a conversation about surge protection. When the grid comes back after an outage, it often returns with a voltage spike that can damage electronics, appliances, and HVAC components. A properly wired surge protection panel device — installed at the main panel, not just a power strip — is a $300–$600 investment that protects tens of thousands of dollars of equipment. We include it in every backup power proposal because leaving it out would be irresponsible.
“We had a generator installed by another company two years ago and it never worked correctly. FHR Electric came out, found three wiring errors the previous crew made, brought it all up to code, and now it kicks on flawlessly. I wish we’d called them first.”
— Homeowner, North Scottsdale, AZ
Why This Matters More in Scottsdale Than Almost Anywhere Else
Maricopa County has some of the most demanding electrical conditions in the country. We deal with:
- Extreme summer heat that makes a power outage a genuine health emergency, especially for children, elderly residents, and anyone with a medical condition
- Monsoon season bringing lightning strikes, downed lines, and grid instability from July through September
- Rapid growth across North Phoenix, Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, and Tempe that strains existing grid infrastructure
- High-value homes in Old Town Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and North Scottsdale where even a brief outage can mean thousands in spoiled food, disrupted smart systems, or a flooded pool equipment room
- EV households that need to know their vehicle will be charged and ready, regardless of grid status
- Home-based businesses and medical professionals who cannot afford downtime under any circumstances
For restaurant owners and commercial clients, the math is even starker. A two-hour outage mid-service can mean thousands in lost revenue, spoiled inventory, and a reputation hit on Yelp that takes months to recover from. We work with restaurant electrical clients across the Valley who treat backup power as a non-negotiable line item — not a luxury. If you run any kind of food service or client-facing operation, it should be on your list too.
You can learn more about how backup power systems work and the technology behind them at this overview of whole-home backup power systems — but when you’re ready for a real conversation about your specific home or business, we’re the team to call.
What Sets FHR Electric Apart
We know you’ve been burned before — or you know someone who has. An unlicensed sub who wired a generator transfer switch incorrectly. A handyman who tied into the wrong circuits. A company that gave you a low quote and then hit you with change orders on every visit. That is not how we operate.
- Licensed and insured — always. You can check Arizona electrical contractor license records through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. We encourage you to look us up before you sign anything with anyone.
- Upfront pricing — we give you a written, itemized proposal before work begins. No surprise invoices. No scope creep without your sign-off.
- Permitted work only — every backup power installation is pulled with a permit and closed out with a passed inspection. Unpermitted wiring can void your homeowner’s insurance and create serious liability when you sell. We don’t cut that corner, period.
- Load analysis first — we calculate your actual electrical load before recommending a generator size or battery capacity. Getting the sizing wrong is expensive and embarrassing; we get it right the first time.
- One team, start to finish — you work with our licensed electricians from design through commissioning. We don’t subcontract the hard parts to whoever is available.
Our Process: How a Whole-Home Backup Power Installation Works
We’ve streamlined this so it’s as painless as possible for you. Here’s what working with FHR Electric looks like from first call to final inspection:
- Site Assessment & Load Analysis — One of our licensed electricians visits your home or business, reviews your panel, identifies your critical loads, and assesses your existing wiring. If we spot issues like a breaker that won’t reset, flickering lights, or an FPE panel that needs immediate attention, we tell you clearly and honestly.
- System Design & Proposal — We present a written proposal with options: standby generator, battery storage, or a hybrid system. We explain the tradeoffs in plain language. You choose what fits your needs and budget. No pressure, no upsell games.
- Permitting — We pull all required permits with the City of Scottsdale, Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, or whichever jurisdiction covers your property. This is non-negotiable for us — permitted electrical work in Arizona is the only kind that protects you legally and financially.
- Installation Day — Our crew arrives on time, protects your property, and does the work cleanly and professionally. We coordinate with the gas utility if needed for standby generator connections. We install the transfer switch, surge protection, and all associated wiring to code.
- Inspection & Commissioning — We schedule the city inspection, walk the inspector through the installation, and commission the system with you present so you understand exactly how it operates, what to test, and when to schedule maintenance.
- Ongoing Support — We don’t disappear after the job. Our team is available for questions, annual load testing, and any electrical work your home or business needs in the future — from electrical troubleshooting and code corrections to EV charger upgrades to full arc-fault protection upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know what size generator or battery I need?
Whole house generator sizing depends on your home’s square footage, HVAC system type and tonnage, number of major appliances, and whether you have an EV charger or other large dedicated loads. There is no universal answer. We calculate this precisely during your site assessment — and we’ll show you the math, not just quote you a number.
Will a backup power system increase my home’s resale value?
Yes — and particularly in Scottsdale and North Scottsdale, where buyers are sophisticated and home inspections are thorough. A permitted, professionally installed backup power system is a genuine selling point. Unpermitted or improperly installed systems, on the other hand, can kill a deal during inspection or force a price reduction.
Can my backup system power my EV charger?
It depends on your system size and configuration. A whole-house standby generator with adequate capacity can typically support a Level 2 EV charger, though we may recommend running it at a reduced amperage during an outage to balance the load. A battery-only system may or may not support EV charging depending on capacity. We design for your actual use case — including your Rivian, Tesla, or other EV — not a generic template.
How long does installation take?
A straightforward standby generator installation with a new transfer switch typically takes one to two days of on-site work. More complex systems — panel upgrades, battery storage integration, or commercial installations — may take longer. We give you a clear timeline in your proposal so you can plan accordingly.
Serving All of Maricopa County
We install whole-home and commercial backup power systems throughout Scottsdale, North Scottsdale, Old Town Scottsdale, Phoenix, North Phoenix, Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Glendale, Fountain Hills, and every community in between. Wherever you are in Maricopa County, FHR Electric can be there — licensed, prepared, and ready to give you a system that actually works when it matters most.
Don’t Wait for the Next Outage to Find Out You Were Unprepared
Every homeowner who calls us after an outage says the same thing: “I kept meaning to do this.” The problem with waiting is that outages don’t give you a warning. The time to install a backup power system is before you need it — not in the middle of a summer heat emergency when every electrician in the Valley is booked two weeks out.
Call us today, get a same-day quote, and let’s design a system that gives you the one thing money can’t buy after the lights go out: certainty.
Licensed. Permitted. Trusted across Scottsdale and all of Maricopa County. FHR Electric — the electrical team you call once and never have to second-guess.