By Theresa Ficazzola
With summer in full swing, temperatures in the 90’s and increasing humidity, the city’s power grids will once again be stretched to keep up with the increased demand for air conditioning. Summer thunder storms with lightning, thunder, strong winds and flooding can also result in problems for the electrical system.
Not to be outdone, winter can cause similar problems when snow and ice build-up on trees and power lines. The weight of the ice forces branches down, which can break and fall onto power lines, thereby causing power outages.
The Power Grid
Often referred to simply as “the grid,” the grid is an interconnected network of high-voltage transmission lines that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers.Grids are such large matrixes that if power is lost in one part of the grid, the other parts can usually handle the excess capacity…for a time. However, if those areas cannot keep up with consumerdemand, they will automatically shut themselves down, resulting in homes and businesses being disconnected from the main grid; leaving those affected without power.
Regardless of how well prepared the utility companies are, blackouts can and do occur. Remember the Northeast/Canadian blackout in August of 2003 and Hurricane Sandy in October of 2012? Many people believe that if they power their home with their own solar panels, they can continue to make their own electricity, even if the power goes out. But, unfortunately that is not the case.
Your Solar Powered Home During a Blackout
You cannot access power from your solar system during a blackout, unless you have battery backup.
Even though you are producing your own power, your solar system is still connected to your utility company (the grid) to bring you power during night time hours, when it’s cloudy, or excess power in the event you are using more electricity than you are producing. Since your home is still connected to the grid, your solar panel system has a safety device that turns itself off during a power outage to prevent back feeding to the grid.
Simply put, the automatic shut-down of a solar powered system is necessary for the safety of utility workers who may be working on electric lines, transformers, power systems, and/or the grid itself.
Since your solar panel system contains software that senses if grid power has been lost or restored, the system will automatically turn itself back on after your utility company has resumed power.
A solar powered battery back-up system can be purchased, which would allow a homeowner to power his or her home during a blackout; however, these systems are relatively new and very costly to purchase and maintain. As technology improves and advances in these systems make them more cost effective, they may be something to consider in the future, but most solar energy companies, including SI Solar, discourage clients from purchasing a solar powered battery back-up system at this time.
Does It Still Make Sense to Go Solar?
Even though you cannot generate your own electricity during a blackout, it’s still worthwhile to go solar. Blackouts are few and far between, while the cost savings you can realize from your very own solar panels will be evident each month. Typical homeowners may be able to save between 60-100% of their current electric bill. Get a free quote from SI Solar to see how much you can save.
On hot summer days, it’s hard not to think about how you can save money by tapping into FREE energy from the sun. New York and New Jersey residents get tax benefits, while customers in New Jersey can also sell their SRECs back to their utility for additional savings. Find out how you, too, can save money by contacting SI Solar today for a no cost, in-home assessment. The assessment is free, the sun is free…and if you qualify, so is the installation!
