In Australia, we aren’t strangers to an occasional blackout. These can happen for many reasons such as storms, maintenance, and technical faults. All leaving you powerless and stranded in the dark.
So… does solar work in a blackout?
Although solar power has incredible financial and environmental benefits. A common misconception is that it can provide you with security during blackouts. While this can be the case with a specific system fail safes, solar power will not work during the blackout.
Solar power systems will not work during a blackout for technical and safety reasons.
In the hours without consistent sunlight, you’ll still receive your electricity through the traditional grid system. Similarly, the majority of solar systems work using monitoring and inverter devices. These adjust the efficiency of the panels accordingly. Without this, as in the case of a blackout, the inverter will no longer function. Think of the inverter as the brain of your system. Without it, you can experience an array of electrical issues in your home.
Blackouts require immediate maintenance from local electrical teams. However, your solar system still feeds excess power back into the system. While electricity is running on the grid, electricians and technicians cannot safely work in the failed areas. Therefore they shut down solar systems in the area for the safety of workers.
You can learn how grid connection works with solar panels here.
Although this might sound painful, there is still a way you can use solar power in a blackout.
Solar batteries are one of the exciting new technologies that are turning solar power into a more consistent energy choice. Consequently, they are an option for people looking to have protection against blackouts. Depending on the size of your system or the power demands of the building, you will need a certain type of battery to have ample power storage.
Battery systems take the excess solar power generated throughout the day, and rather than delivering it back to the grid, they use it to charge. When the sun is down, or electricity is cut, and your panels do not work, a solar battery system can continue to give you power for a period of time. This is one way to get around the blackout issue here in Australia. While some organisations purchase large backup generators, you can count on solar batteries to help you get over the line.
Whilst batteries are a great way to safeguard against black outs they also add costs to your solar power system. Therefore making the return on investment more complicated. A more economic alternative is to sell your solar back to the grid and then buy it back when needed. For more cost savings like this, check out our Solar Hacks eBook – A FREE guide on how to hack your energy bills for homeowners without Solar.
Pay As You Save With SunEnergy
For more information on the inner workings of solar panels during a blackout, or about how much a battery system will cost, give the team at SunEnergy a call for a chat. Our solar experts have all the know-how to keep the power supply on for as long as possible.
*Allowable system sizes and feed-in tariffs do vary by state and region. Please consult your local electricity provider or council for more information.