How Solar can Protect Against Power Outages
Alternative Energy
Severe weather is serious and has been a danger to homeowners across America already in 2023. Whether you’re a victim of the Central Texas ice-storms, the worst in 15-years, or a part of the 58 million Americans on alert for severe weather, storms put electrical grids at risk and leave many homeowners without essential functions of their homes [4, 5].
Things we may take for granted, such as heat and air conditioning, a running refrigerator and working electrical outlets, may fail at a time of need due to power outages and blackouts. As summer storms and blazing weather quickly approaches, and winter storms begin to fizzle out, power outages are on many homeowners’ minds.
With harsh weather conditions comes power outages. By protecting yourself with solar and battery storage, you can minimize the effects of outages. With solar, you don’t have to worry about being tied to a dying power grid ever again.
The best way to stay energized during power outages is by making your home a solar island or going off-grid via battery storage. These terms describe a home that has been separated from the utility grid and can stand alone during an outage thanks to banked energy [1].
While your neighbors and others are out of power from the utility company, your home will continue to power itself from the battery power you’ve stored up over time. Ready to make this a reality for your home? Call 1-888-MOMENTUM today to speak to a local representative!
Am I off-grid?
One of the biggest things about protecting your home from blackouts with solar is that you need to have a power storage system, such as the Enphase system Momentum offers to all of its customers! Being grid-tied means that your home produces solar energy and uses as much of it as it can, but may still use power from the utility company if needed [1].
When in a blackout, the grid will also shut down a grid-tied home with solar panels due to safety reasons. Therefore, you will no longer be pulling energy from the sun, and you will no longer be pulling energy from the utility company.
To be off-grid, or a solar island, you need to have batteries as a way to store excess energy for your home. Momentum Solar’s Enphase battery system is the perfect solution for achieving independence during an extreme weather situation. With completely customizable kWhs of storage for your home, Enphase helps protect you and your loved ones in a power outage.
Ready to protect your home with Enphase? Click the “Free Quote” button on the top of the page for more information.
How long can I power my home?
If you don’t need air conditioning or heat, or your heat runs off of gas, your home can easily run main functions for 24 hours based on 10 kWh of storage [2]. The Energy Information Agency says that the average power outage is less than six hours, so your home will have more than enough power for a standard power failure event [3].
For more detailed information visit our previous blog, How long can your solar battery power your home in an outage?
These numbers depend on a few things, such as how much storage you opt for and what the normal output for your home looks like. Momentum Solar’s partnership with Enphase offers the Encharge 10 with 10.1kWh as well as the Encharge 4, which provides roughly 4 kWh of storage. You can stock up with as many as you’d like and allow your home the capability of being off-grid whenever you need it most! You can even use the battery system to switch to stored energy during peak usage hours. This means you’ll be able to save even more on your monthly utility bill!
Momentum Solar makes it easy to be off-grid. With our Enphase partnership, you can store backup power that is easy to use and keep important appliances running smoothly while reducing your carbon footprint. Your home will be able to draw energy from your storage system as well as continue to bank in energy during a power outage.
Ultimately, investing in solar batteries and storage solutions helps you save a lot of money long term. From spoiled food to frozen pipes, being able to maintain your home reliably is essential with today’s occurrences of extreme weather and can help save you money.
From hurricanes to wildfires, no matter what type of climate threats you face, Momentum Solar can help you keep you and your family safe. To get started with a Enphase battery system or to learn more, call 1-888-MOMENTUM today.
Citations:
[2] https://www.solar.com/learn/how-long-can-a-battery-provide-power-during-an-outage/
[3] https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=43915
[5] https://abcnews.go.com/US/100-million-americans-30-states-alert-severe-weather/story?id=97217487
