Hi everyone! I live in a rented house in Spain, and after a recent power outage, I've got some questions about our solar setup. Our system uses a Huawei SUN2000-KTL5-L1 inverter and a LUNA2000-5KW-C0 battery. As I understand it, since we're grid-tied, the system can't supply power during an outage—even though it can export power when the grid is up. It didn't backfeed anything during the blackout we had yesterday, nor during smaller outages in the past. So, what's the deal with having a battery in this system? I'm curious if it's just for cost savings or if there's more to it. Also, is there a way to switch the system to use the solar panels and battery during a power cut, either automatically or manually?
3 Answers
Most solar setups stop working during an outage to ensure safety, as it prevents the system from accidentally sending power back into the grid. However, there are hybrid inverters that can automatically switch to battery power if the grid goes down. The Victron Multiplus II is one of those models. It's also possible that your inverter has an off-grid mode for backup, which might be worth checking out!
Having a hybrid inverter can allow for backup power during outages. Models like the Givenergy Hybrid with EPS can supply the whole house during blackouts using solar and battery. Remember to check compatibility with your existing setup, as you'll need hardware designed for that purpose.
You're right about grid-tied systems—the typical setup won't work when the power goes out because safety regulations prevent them from backfeeding into the grid during outages. The battery still serves its purpose by storing energy when solar production is high and supplying that energy to your home at night. Unfortunately, if you want a system that can provide backup power during an outage, you'd need a special type of hybrid inverter. Popular options like Victron Multiplus 2 or Deye SUN are designed for that.
That's interesting! I didn't know some inverters had off-grid modes. It makes sense for safety reasons about not backfeeding.