Solar panels can improve the efficiency of your home or business, while also reducing your monthly utility costs. In addition to being more affordable, solar is also more reliable. When the sun is shining, solar panels will produce electricity for your consumption, for storage in a battery backup system, or to export to the grid.
Our customers, being familiar with the unreliability of the electrical grid in New York, often ask us: what happens during a blackout?
Let’s look at how solar panels can be of huge benefit when the grid goes down.
What Happens to Solar Panels During a Blackout?
With a standard installation using only solar panels, your system will shut down when there’s a blackout. This is because your solar system works both ways.
- It provides energy to your home or business to use before importing electricity from the grid.
- If you aren’t utilizing your full solar production, you will export energy back to the grid.
During a blackout, the grid needs to be protected for the safety of equipment and the people working on the lines. Your home will stop exporting, and you will lose power along with your neighbors. Your panels will shut down to keep the system and the linesmen safe.
Grid outages aren’t uncommon in New York. In fact, compared to some other areas of the nation, you could say that they are frequent.
A major power outage could become problematic because your solar system will be connected to the grid. But there is a way around this. We can develop your solar panel solution to include battery backup, which will keep your home or business running even when there’s a power outage.
Your battery backup could power the entire home or just some protected circuits, depending on the size of the battery and how you want to integrate it.
What Happens During a Blackout When You Have a Solar Battery?
A solar battery or battery backup takes electricity from your panels to store for an emergency. Battery backup can also deploy in the evenings when your panels stop generating.
With battery backup, a blackout won’t be a problem. The grid will still go down, but your battery can safely deploy electricity. Battery backup is often used to provide coverage for critical appliances like air conditioners, freezers, refrigerators, and other essential items. The system could also be used for office equipment like computers, printers, internet routers, and other essential devices.
The limitations of a solar battery backup system are determined by your unique needs, your budget, and the available space to place the equipment. Some larger systems can continue running for days during a major blackout, while others will provide a few hours of power under full load.
We will customize a solution to suit your needs based on your energy demands, the historical and predicted risk of blackouts in your area, and other factors unique to your situation. New York Power Solutions installs the most reliable solar battery systems in the state.
Start With Your Consultation
Say goodbye to blackouts with solar panels and battery backup. Start with your free estimate and enjoy our detailed consultation with a cost/benefit analysis to learn what type of solar system is right for you.
We believe in transparency. We provide the information. You make the choice. Talk to a solar energy consultant at New York Power Solutions today.
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