What happens during a power outage in my area? Will my system power my home?

While backup batteries can be pricey, they’re ultimately worth the investment. This is especially true for homeowners who live in areas where power outages are common. Due to safety reasons, utility companies don’t allow solar to power your home during a power outage; only a backup generator or battery can be used. If power outages are fairly common in your area, we suggest purchasing a battery to use as a backup power source.

• For non-battery owners:
  When a power outage occurs in your area, your solar system will disconnect from the local grid. The biggest reason for this is safety; workers will likely be sent out to repair faulty electrical wires and it’s potentially dangerous for them if solar power is traveling back to the grid at the same time that they are trying to fix the issue. If you don’t have a battery with blackout protection (read below), then there’s not much you can do other than waiting it out.
• For battery owners:
  For solar batteries to work during a blackout, they require ‘blackout protection.’ This is a feature that allows the battery to power your home without it connecting to your local grid. Electrical workers will be handling power lines during an outage and are therefore vulnerable to being shocked by electric currents.

For homeowners with a solar battery, their inverter will disconnect from the grid but they will still have access to whatever energy remains in their battery. How long this power lasts for depends on several factors such as how many panels you have and how much sunlight they receive throughout the day.