No internet, no phone charger, no computer… How long can you spend without electricity? Unfortunately, in Victoria and Australia as a whole, we are familiar with unpredictable power blackouts. A lot of businesses and households depend on energy for their daily operations and a power blackout can be an awful experience.
Will solar panels work during a power outage?
Solar panels are not designed to work during a power outage. In case of blackouts, a standard grid-connected solar system is programmed to switch-off to prevent the extra energy from being sent to the power line. It is a safety measure to protect both the power lines that can be damaged and the workers who fix the lines.
If your solar power installation is an off-grid system, you are completely independent from the energy grid and won’t be affected at all by power outages.
How to backup a grid-connected solar system?
To keep using electricity during a power outage, 3 solutions exist:
- Use a generator
- Replace your inverter with a “blackout stopper”
- Install backup batteries
Use a generator
A generator can be used as a backup to supply electricity in case of power outages, enabling you to keep some appliances running while the grid is down. Diesel generators are the cheapest option to maintain power, but for solar enthusiastic, greener solar options exist.
Replace your inverter with a “blackout stopper”
As discussed above, standard inverters are programmed to switch the system off during power outages. A new inverter on the market allows you to use your solar panels when the grid is down. SMA America released a new inverter that will automatically switch the system to a standalone position. This feature can be added to your current solar system as an alternative to batteries and generators. However, it won’t give you full power and will work only during daytime when your panels produce electricity. If you only need to keep some devices on, it could be a good solution.
More information about this special inverter here.
If you want to keep full power even during power outages, the only solution is to install a solar system along with energy storage.
Install backup batteries
A solar system backed up with a battery bank is the only option to fully enjoy your electrical appliance even during power blackouts for as long as the capacity of your batteries allows you.
The batteries charge with the excess electricity generated by the panels thought the days. The excess energy produced but not used is sent to the battery bank rather than sent to the grid. This energy can be used when the panels don’t produce electricity, at night time or during grid failures for instance.
This option is by far the best and the number of customers choosing battery storage has risen dramatically compared to just a couple of years ago. Even if prices are coming down quickly, battery storage systems can be quite expensive.
N.B.: Not every battery storage system allow you to use your battery power in case of power blackout. Make sure you ask when instaling your battery storage system.
For more information visit our Energy Storage options, or contact the Energis team on 1300 782 217 or via email at sales@energis.com.au
