Downtime refers to the time, measured in hours per year or as a percentage, during which the PV system is unable to supply electricity to the load. Downtime may result from solar power facility maintenance or technical malfunction.
Will Solar Panels work during a Solar Downtime?
Solar panels are not intended to function when there is no electricity. A typical grid-connected solar system is set up to shut down in the event of a blackout to stop extra energy from being sent to the power infrastructure. It is a safety precaution to safeguard both the potential victims—the electricity lines—and the repair personnel.
You won’t be impacted at all by power outages if your solar power installation is an off-grid system because you are totally autonomous from the energy infrastructure.
What are the ways to avoid Solar Downtime?
There are many ways to prevent solar downtime and some of them are as follows.
Employ a generator
In the event of a power outage, a generator can be used as a backup source of electricity, allowing you to keep some appliances operating while the grid is down. The least expensive way to keep power is with diesel generators, but for solar enthusiasts, there are greener solar options available.
Use a “blackout stopper” in place of your inverter
When there is a power outage, standard inverters are programmed to turn the device off. When the grid is down, you can still use your solar panels thanks to a novel inverter on the market.
A new inverter from SMA America will instantly move the system into a standalone mode. As an alternative to batteries and generators, you can incorporate this functionality into your existing solar system.
The only time it will operate is during the day when your solar panels are producing electricity, so it won’t offer you full power. It might be a good option if you only need to keep a few devices on. Installing a solar system along with energy storage is the only option if you want to maintain complete power even during power outages.
Also Read: What is a Dopant?
Attach auxiliary batteries
The only way to completely utilize your electrical appliance even during power outages for as long as the capacity of your batteries permits you is with a solar system backed up with a battery bank.
The extra energy produced by the panels throughout the day is used to charge the batteries. Instead of being sent to the grid, any extra energy generated but not used is sent to the battery reserve. When the panels are not producing electricity, such as at night or during power outages, this energy can be used.
The number of customers selecting battery storage has increased significantly over the past few years, and it is by far the best option available. Although costs are rapidly declining, battery storage devices can still be quite expensive.
