Just installed solar + battery. It's not to save the planet, I've lost faith that's possible. It's to give us a private power supply when things really go to shit.
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@fesshole both reasons are valid, sadly
@fesshole Did you get an isolation switch installed? If you didn't then the system will shut down when there's a power cut - they don't want stray power on the grid when trying to repair downed lines.
Ours doesn't, but I'm seriously considering getting one installed at some point.
Yeah, I'm wondering this now too. We've got panels but no battery, I'm wondering what's the most cost effective way to keep them generating in a power cut.
@HunterAnton @Chris4man @fesshole hmm, depends on your charge controller / inverter. Some have battery connections, but yeah, you need to check that it will actually work in a power cut.
A mates' inverter has a special "emergency power" socket, which is a C14/C19.
This means that you can connect /something/ to it during a power cut, but it won't power your house circuits.
I was concerned about this with my setup, so i've not gone for a grid-connected setup, and am using an "Automatic Transfer Switch" to swap between mains and battery.
It won't be as efficient and is more complicated, but it meant I could do it all myself without needing a professional electrician.
Check your (planned) system has something like this SigEn Gateway which will disconnect you from the grid and keep your panels and batteries running even if there is a grid failure:
https://www.sigenergy.com/en/products/gateway
The topology is:
Grid - gateway - { house, inverter, generator …}
