How to Use Solar Power During a Power Outage

When installed correctly, solar panels can offer benefits such as reduced energy cost, increased property value and a potential reduction in your home's environmental impact. Another commonly touted perk of solar panels is energy independence — when you're converting the sun's energy into something you can use in your home, you don't have to worry about whether your connection to the utility grid is reliable, right?

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Turns out, it's not quite that simple, and knowing how to use solar panels during a power outage and whether you can do so is important.

Do Solar Panels Work During a Power Outage?

Whether your solar panels work during a power outage depends on your setup. Many people have what are called grid-tied systems. This means their solar panel systems generate clean, free energy, reducing their homes' draw from the grid — and subsequently, the cost of their utilities. Typically, with grid-tied systems, the solar panels feed excess power back into the grid. This isn't something that's safe if the grid is down, as utility professionals are working to repair lines and need to know that they're powered down. Safety measures require inverters that convert energy from the sun into something you can use in your home automatically shut down if there's a grid power failure.

However, in two cases, solar panels will continue to provide power and work even if there's a grid outage. The first is if your home isn't tied to the grid at all. This is known as off-grid solar power. In this type of setup, your home's power is self-contained and operates solely on the basis of solar panels or other types of energy-generating devices you've set up. The upside is that a power grid failure doesn't impact you at all. The downsides are that you don't have access to electricity other than what you generate and you don't get any credit or potential earnings from generating extra solar energy. Off-grid solutions that power entire homes are also fairly expensive, and they rely on being able to store enough energy to use when weather is poor or at night when the sun isn't out.

The second situation that may result in you having power during an outage is if your grid-tied solar panel system includes energy storage. A couple of solar batteries allow unused power to be stored. It doesn't have to feed back into the grid, supporting safety, and can be used to power your home during an outage.

Can Solar Panels Power a House During a Power Outage?

If you have an off-grid system, you may already power your home without relying on the grid. In this case, your system will continue to work as it already does.

If you have a grid-tied system with enough solar panels and batteries, you can power your entire home during a power outage if you have the right setup and enough batteries. However, for many people, this is prohibitively expensive. Instead, you may want to consider what types of devices you might really need to power during an outage and set up an emergency response within your system. For example, you might want your solar batteries to power some lights, your refrigerator and some outlets you can use to charge devices like smartphones and laptops. By choosing only to power devices and appliances you might really need, you can reduce the expense required to set up solar storage.

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How Do You Use Solar Panels During a Power Outage?

To use your solar panels during a power outage, you need to have them set up for this purpose. In an off-grid situation, this is your standard operating procedure, so you don't have to worry about what the power grid in your area is doing. However, homeowners with grid-tied solar power must plan ahead.

Talk to the contractors who install your solar panels about your options. You may need to bring in an electrician to help you set up energy-use priorities so you can easily switch from regular use of your solar power to reliance on solar batteries to power specific areas or equipment in your home. You may also want to discuss your needs with a contractor and plan out how you can prepare for a few days of necessary power so you can get through normal power outages.

If you live in an area that's prone to longer power outages, such as areas where hurricanes may be possible or where extreme snowstorms have been known to knock out power for up to a week or more, you may want to supplement solar power with generators or other options to sustain necessary power during an emergency.