Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
Power outages are sadly an increasingly common phenomenon in many parts of the country. Many homeowners considering the switch to solar, therefore, might be wondering whether solar panels work during a blackout. Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
Unfortunately, if you want to continue to have power during an outage, you’ll need to install a system that has a solar battery, as this is the only safe way for your solar panels to remain online.
In this article, we’ll take a glance at why power outages are such a common occurrence, discuss how your solar panels can produce power during outages, and we’ll tell you the easiest way to get solar panels in Illinois in 2023.
- Power Outages Are Increasing Rapidly
Of all the world’s developed nations, in the 2020s the United States takes first place in terms of power outages and blackouts, which affect millions of people every year.
A leading factor is America’s aging grid network, which is over 100 years old in some places, but coupled with a severe uptick in extreme weather events, wildfires and heatwaves, this spells disaster every year.
On the West Coast, recent years have seen raging wildfires of increasing severity, leading utilities to shut down the grid, leaving millions without power.
On the East Coast, high winds have taken down more than 4,000 power lines, leaving more than one million customers without electricity.
But it’s not just the coastal areas of the country that are dealing with energy insecurity through grid failure – in recent years, Illinois has also seen an uptick in blackouts.
- In 2021, Scott County faced a power outage that lasted more than 11 days
- 2022, multiple counties across Illinois had to deal with outages lasting more than 20 hours
- Solar Panels Can Work During An Outage, But Not If You Have A Grid-Tie Inverter
Unfortunately, if you have a grid-tie solar inverter, during a power outage your inverter will shut down your solar panel system and it will stop producing power.
Grid-tie inverters are installed on systems that are designed to feed excess electricity into the grid during periods of peak power generation.
The reason why this type of inverter will shut down your system during an outage is due to the fact that it wouldn’t be safe for you to be feeding electricity into the grid while it’s down.
This is because during outages, there will be technicians working on the disabled grid to try and repair the faults so that power can be restored. Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
Why Do Some People Opt For A Grid-Tie Inverter?
In 2023, most people still opt to install a solar panel system with a grid-tie inverter, rather than one that recharges solar batteries with power that can be used at a later time.
Grid tie inverters include a smart meter that records how much power your solar panels produce, how much power you use in your home and how much you feed into the utility grid.
One of the primary factors that causes people in Illinois to opt for grid tie inverters with their systems is the existence of the Solar Net Metering scheme. Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
What Is Solar Net Metering?
Solar net metering allows homeowners with solar panels the opportunity to generate utility credits for every kilowatt-hour of excess electricity that they feed into the grid.
Currently the ratio for this scheme is 1:1, so solar homes can enjoy the full benefit of all of the electricity that they produce, without having the additional expense of investing in a solar battery.
However, solar net metering at the current rate will not be available indefinitely to new homes making the transition to solar panels.
The Long Term Outlook Of Net Metering
Under current legislation, once solar penetration reaches 3% of peak demand, the net metering ratio for new solar installations will be recalculated – so those who install grid-tie inverters will end up seeing less return on their investment.
When the solar net metering terms change, it is highly likely that a far greater proportion of homeowners switching to solar energy will opt for solar batteries, in order to reap the full rewards of their solar panels. Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
- What Type Of Inverters Keep Working During Power Outages?
For your solar panels to continue to provide you with power during a blackout, you will need one of the following types of inverters:
- An off-grid, or stand-alone, solar inverter, which is not tied to the grid, but instead uses excess power to recharge solar batteries
- A special battery backup solar inverter, which charges solar batteries that are used specifically for backup power during outages
- A hybrid inverter, which can perform the functions of all three of the other types of solar inverters, so long as it is accompanied by a solar battery
For any of these three inverters to be of any use, of course, they have to be accompanied by a solar battery, which the inverter will automatically bring online when the power goes down.
- Power Through Blackouts With A Solar Battery
Solar batteries provide you with a clean and reliable source of electricity during blackouts, and are a safe and climate-friendly alternative to using a generator for backup power.
What Are The Benefits Of Solar Batteries vs Generators
For most people, generators are better than nothing when it comes to power outages, but when stacked against each other, solar batteries are a far more economic and environmentally conscious solution.
Solar Batteries
- Provide you with 100% clean, renewable electricity
- Allow your solar panels to continue to generate electricity during blackouts
- Come with much longer warranties than generators
- Are very quiet – emitting about the same amount of noise as a refrigerator
- Cost nothing to run
Generators
- Rely on polluting fossil fuels
- Do not allow your solar system to remain online during blackouts
- Emit toxic fumes that smell bad and can be extremely harmful to your health
- Are very loud, making it difficult to enjoy peace
- Are expensive to run, and need to be fed constantly with gasoline, diesel or propane
Solar Batteries Can Support The Grid
A common reason for grid failure, besides extreme weather events and natural disasters, is the matter of it overloading.
Solar panels with solar battery systems help to take the strain off of the aging grid network, and contribute to reducing the likelihood of grid failure. Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
To Summarise
Solar panels are the wise choice for any homeowner in Illinois in 2023. By upgrading your home to solar energy, you can:
- Save $25,000 – $40,000 over a 20 year period, compared to what you would otherwise pay in utilities
- Increase the value of your home by $15,000 or more, on average
- Ensure that you continue to have power during outages, if you install a solar battery system with your solar panels
Making the move to solar energy is the wise choice, but it isn’t always an easy process. There are lots of hurdles that you have to jump over, and there’s lots of red tape. That’s why Green Home Makeover is here to help.
We specialize in managing solar projects, from A to Z, you’re able to enjoy the benefits of solar, without any of the headaches involved in getting there. All you have to worry about is being home on the day of the installation. Will Solar Panels Work During A Power Outage in 2023?
If you’d like to know more about how we can help make your solar dream a reality, get in touch today.