Can A Solar Battery Run My Home If I Lose Power?
Did you pull a Christmas Vacation and string up a little too much lighting this year? Worried it may cause a power outage and make you the talk of the neighborhood? But you should be good if you have solar panels…right? Maybe. Solar Bear of Tampa shares more on solar batteries below and how you can prepare your home should the holiday cheer go into overdrive.
Houses that install a rooftop solar panel system tend to connect to the electric grid in their area. This connection allows homeowners to draw power from the electrical grid at night or when their panels aren’t producing enough to keep up with their home’s energy consumption. This partnership also works reversely, where panels that overproduce can send power back to the grid through net metering. In this case, your system uses the grid as a “battery” instead of storing power in an actual battery to store energy produced. So when a power outage occurs, these grid-tied solar panel systems are designed to shut down. This is a safety precaution that protects utility workers from live electricity injuries during repairs. But, it also means you have no backup power available.
However, if your system includes a solar battery, you may be singing “Joy to World” if an outage occurs. A solar battery may provide a seamless transition from the grid to battery backup power. With this installation, a system will keep the power on by “islanding,” or disconnecting itself from the grid when an outage is detected. During the blackout period, the system will continue to charge the batteries during daylight and then discharge them during nighttime hours. Essentially, you could keep your home running on this system as long as the batteries have enough capacity. There are many types of solar batteries available. Our team of professionals can help you determine the best type for your energy needs during our complimentary evaluation.
Solar battery systems – they’re a beauty! If you’re interested in learning more about the power of solar batteries, speak with our team at Solar Bear of Tampa. Call us at (727) 741-7442 or schedule your free estimate online today!