The short answer
Solar on its own switches off when the grid goes down, for the safety of line workers. To keep power on, you need a battery and inverter set up for backup, with the circuits you want kept running wired to it. Choose what's on backup, such as the fridge, lights and internet, and size the battery to run them.
Why solar alone switches off
When the grid goes down, solar inverters are required to switch off, so they can't feed power into lines that workers are repairing. That's why a home with solar and no battery loses power in a blackout like everyone else.
What backup needs
- A battery and inverter that support backup, as not every system does by default
- The circuits you want kept on, wired to the backup supply
- Enough charge in reserve when the outage starts
- For three-phase homes, a way to run the house's circuits from the backup supply
Essentials or the whole home
Backing up a few essential circuits, such as the fridge, lights, internet and a few power points, needs less battery and keeps them running longer. Whole-home backup covers everything, but big loads like ducted air-con, ovens and hot water drain a battery fast.
Tell us what matters in an outage, and we'll design the backup around it.
Storms and cyclones
In storm-prone parts of Queensland and northern NSW, backup is often the main reason people add a battery. In cyclone regions like Townsville, we also use panel mounting rated for the wind loads your home has to meet.
Solar in Townsville
