Will Solar Panels Work During a Long Island Power Outage?
No, standard solar panels won’t work during a Long Island power outage. For safety, PSEG LI requires that systems shut down automatically during a blackout. This prevents the problem of solar electricity feeding into the grid, which could endanger network equipment and technicians working on the lines. To keep your lights on when the grid goes dark, you will need to integrate a solar battery backup system with your solar panels.
How to Get Solar Power During a PSEG LI Blackout
To keep your electricity on during a blackout, you will need to add a solar battery system to your solar panels. Systems like the Tesla Powerwall 3 and Generac PWRcell 2 are capable of providing battery backup for several hours, depending on configuration.
How a solar battery works during an outage:
- Your solar battery will store excess solar energy during the day, charging the cells in the system.
- If the grid goes down, a smart switch detects the drop in voltage and isolates your home. This is known as “islanding” from the grid. Tesla uses a technology called System Controller 3, while Generac provides a similar function using a Smart Disconnect Switch.
- Your home will now be on a self-sufficient microgrid, and the batteries will deploy electricity.
Your Long Island battery energy storage system will be configured to deliver electricity to specific circuits in your home. You could back up your whole home, but this might mean only getting 1 or 2 hours from the stored electricity. Most homeowners opt for a more balanced configuration, delivering electricity to specific circuits like the one running your refrigerator, lighting, and primary outlets. A battery backup system around 10kwH could power a home for 10 – 12 hours with this type of configuration.
Could I Run an Air Conditioner or Heat Pump from a Solar Battery?
You could run an air conditioner or heat pump from a solar backup battery, but the backup time will drop significantly. A 10kWh system could run for 1 or 2 hours when connected to an air conditioner or heat pump circuit. You could increase the size of your backup battery, but this would significantly add to the total cost of your system and increase the payback period, or the time it takes to break even with solar savings.
Most homes don’t need batteries larger than 10kWh to 13kWh. Excluding major storms, most families on Long Island are only likely to experience a single outage each year, lasting less than 88 minutes.
Rare extended outages are less impactful for homes with solar panels and battery backup. Solar panels will continue to generate electricity and recharge the battery storage system during a grid failure.
Only a Home with a Solar Battery is Independent During an Outage
The key takeaway is to remember that a home without a battery system will go down with the grid, while a home with solar panels and a battery system will isolate itself and keep the lights on. That’s why an increasing number of Long Island families are choosing to install solar panels with a battery backup solution.
Power Solutions is your top-rated solar installer on Long Island, serving Suffolk and Nassau County. We’re ready to help when you want a more resilient home with practical energy independence.
Contact us for your free solar estimate today. Learn more about the potential of a solar battery backup system, and see how much you could save with renewable energy. Power Solutions offers detailed consultations with cost/benefit reports. We provide the information. You make the choice.
