Why do my solar panels stop in a power cut?
Grid-connected inverters must shut down when the grid fails, so they cannot feed power into lines being repaired. Backup needs a battery, a backup-capable inverter or gateway and switching that isolates the house from the grid.
Choose what stays on
- Fridges and freezers
- Lighting and sockets in key rooms
- Internet, alarm, cameras and electric gates
- Water pumps and borehole pumps
- Perhaps one air-conditioning unit
Running every air conditioner, the pool and the kitchen at once is a far bigger system. We separate the essentials onto a protected circuit so the battery can carry them for hours, and the panels can recharge it in daylight.
Fincas and remote homes
Rural properties in Mallorca, Ibiza and Formentera can see more interruptions and weaker supplies. For these we look at backup duration, pump start-up loads and, where needed, a generator input.
Adding backup to existing solar
We can often add a battery with a backup gateway, or replace the inverter with a hybrid that has a backup output.
Questions owners ask
How long will backup last?
It depends on the battery size and what is connected. A typical essentials circuit can run through the night on a 10 to 13 kWh battery.
Is whole-house backup possible?
For some homes, yes, but large air-conditioning and pool loads usually make a protected essentials circuit the better design.
Do the panels recharge the battery during a long cut?
With the right equipment, yes, in daylight.