What is solar islanding?

Solar islanding is when a home solar power system continues to generate electricity even though the grid is down. Many people would consider this a good thing, as your home still has power from your solar panels while everyone else has no power.

Can your home be a solar energy island?

However, your home can be a solar energy island with renewable energy available during a power outage or blackout. Integrating a solar inverter with island mode and battery storage will give you this capability while maintaining a connection to the grid.

How does an islanding solar inverter work?

Your islanding solar inverter works independently from the power grid. If there's a storm or other event that knocks out the main power grid, your solar power system will continue running and providing power to your home. We mention this because many people mistake going solar with going off-grid, but that's typically not the case.

Why should you choose An islanded Solar System?

On the one hand, it will enable you to continue to power your home with locally-produced solar generation even in the event of a grid outage. On the other hand, an islanded system has no risk of pushing excess electricity onto the grid, making it safe for utility workers to work to restore regular service.

What if solar islanding wasn't prevented?

Here's what could happen if solar islanding wasn’t prevented: The local grid goes down. However, your grid-tied solar power system still produces electricity. Once the panels have supplied electricity to your home, any excess energy goes into the grid.

Can You Turn your home into an energy island?

However, much like islands are forced to be self-sufficient if you install a battery with islanding capabilities, you can turn your home into an "energy island." As a result, islanding allows you to keep your home powered regardless of what's occurring on the rest of the grid, including during weather-related outages.