Use solar energy even in an emergency in the event of a power outage

According to “energy-charts.info”, solar energy production accounted for 4.89% of electricity consumption in Switzerland in 2021. In 2020 it was 4.7% and currently it is almost 6%. The numbers come from the Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).

But are we on the safe side with the solar system in the event of a power outage?

Blackouts have certainly posed a risk since the energy crisis of 2022. Natural disasters, cyberattacks, or overloads can quickly lead to widespread blackouts.

Solar power along with emergency or backup power provides a good alternative to supply electricity in emergency situations. However, some preconditions must be met for this.

The photovoltaic system does not turn on automatically in the event of a power failure. In the event of a power outage, the solar system is also turned off.

Reason: In order to operate safely on the power supply, all circuits must be closed. If there is a power failure, it may not be possible to use the solar system.

However, there are ways in which solar energy from a photovoltaic system can be used as an emergency power source.

That way, the solar power being fed would still be available if the public grid collapsed. For this purpose, an ordinary solar system must be equipped with an inverter and, if necessary, with its own energy storage unit.

Depending on the use, either an emergency power supply or a backup power supply is an option.

The emergency power system ensures the most necessary power supply. The reflector does not just establish the connection to the network provider. He also has a separate outlet.

In the event of a power outage, the inverter registers it and activates a special emergency power outlet. Disadvantage: all devices must be manually connected to the emergency socket. Therefore the emergency power system is a short term and limited solution with disconnection from the public grid.

On the other hand, a backup power system replaces the grid resource, as in the island system. Thus, it becomes possible to provide a back-up supply of electricity for the whole family.

An energy storage unit with backup function and an inverter is required for this. The inverter knows when power is gone and can feed power into the power store. The inverter must be able to withstand higher inrush currents.

This is the only way to use different devices at the same time. On the contrary, buying this island would cost more.

Energy storage and the solar system must be much more powerful than the emergency power supply.