So you’ve installed solar panels in your home. Or maybe you’re considering investing in clean energy, but concerned about powering your home in the case of a blackout? What happens during a blackout? The grid goes down – does your system withstand the damage and continue to power your home? Or does it all go down with the main grid? How do you even know if you have enough energy stored to power your home?
If your a first time, solar system owner, It can be confusing. We’ve broken down what happens during a blackout for you.
If you have a grid-tied system installed in your home, you might be surprised to find that when your area experiences a black out, so does your home. This is because your solar panels aren’t energy storage units; they simply convert energy from DC to AC. Even if the sun is beating onto your panels at the time of a blackout, your home will likely lose power. For safety reasons, all solar PV systems must be turned off in the event of a blackout. This is mandated by your local supplier.
If you have a solar home battery system with your panels, your unit will continually store excess energy for later use. when a blackout occurs, your solar PV system will be switched off by your local provider as per usual. The difference here is, after a few minutes, your system will reactivate itself and continue to power your home. Your solar PV system will be able to work off-grid for the duration of the blackout or until your stored energy is depleted.
Not all solar PV systems will continue to supply energy in the event of a blackout. If you have a home battery connected to your system, you will be able to power your house with off-grid energy until the energy stored is depleted. Keep in mind that not all batteries can keep powering your home off-grid. Talk to one of our consultants today to find the best solution for your home.