Solar panels don’t always offer you immunity against power outages, it all depends on your solar panel connectivity.
The way your solar panel system is set up plays a role as to whether you’d still get power during a blackout.
Grid-connect solar panel systems won’t work
A grid-connect solar panel system is basically a solar panel system that keeps your home connected to the nationwide energy grid. This is useful for reselling your surplus solar power back to the grid and for making up any shortfalls in your power supply.
During power outages, grid-connect solar systems will automatically shut down (so you won’t get power) as a safety precaution during power outages, which will stop you from sending electricity to a damaged grid or from receiving energy to make up your surplus.
Off-grid solar systems will work
The other type of solar panel system is the off-grid system. This means that your home and system are completely freestanding. You do not resell your electricity to the energy grid, nor do you take any energy in times of shortfall. This type of solar system is not affected at all by power outages. This may seem like an advantage, but it also can’t draw extra energy from the grid in times of shortfall.
Power outages are rare in Australia and so, when choosing a solar panel plan, there will probably be more important things to take into account than whether or not you will have power during an outage. However, it is still good to know what to expect, and to be prepared for the worst.
