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<h2>Do I need Backup Power for My Solar-Powered Home?</h2>
If you’ve lived in the Valley of the Sun for a while, you’ve probably experienced crazy-strong summer monsoon storms. And there’s nothing quite like the massive wall of dust coming toward you during a Haboob. Sometimes those storms can knock out the power to your neighborhood. But if you have a solar system, do you know what happens when the power goes out?
<h2>What Happens to Solar Power When the Power Goes Out?</h2>
Most residential solar systems are hooked up to the grid. During daylight hours, in addition to generating power for your house, they generate excess electricity that is sent back to the power company. At night, when your panels are not generating, those homes are drawing electricity from the power company.

But being tied to the grid has knock-on effects. If your solar-power home is hooked up to the grid, your power will probably go out.

It is a safety issue — if your home is generating power and a nearby power line falls to the ground, the electricity from your home could travel back to that point and cause a risk of electrocution. Requiring it to turn off during a power outage protects utility repair crews.
<h2>Will I Need Backup Power?</h2>
What do you do during a power outage then? Fortunately, power outages don’t happen that often in the Phoenix metro area. However, a power outage in the middle of summer can lead to extremely hot temps inside your home in a short period of time. If your AC has ever frozen up or simply stopped working, you know what we’re talking about.

Backup power sources are quite common in areas that experience frequent power outages, like the Gulf Coast where hurricanes are frequent or California that has wildfires and myriad electrical grid issues.

They are less common in the Valley because homeowners generally want to forego the extra expense, but good options do exist.
<h2>Options for Backup Power</h2>
If you decide to install a backup power system, you have several options. Some of these may be limited by your HOA or local zoning laws, so please do your research before committing to a particular system.
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 	<li><strong>Generators</strong> use diesel fuel or gasoline to power the motor that creates electricity for your home. For many homeowners with solar, this option is not very attractive, for obvious reasons. You also may not be able to install a generator in your neighborhood due to HOA restrictions.</li>
 	<li><strong>Battery backups</strong> store excess power from your panels and, in the event of an outage, can be used to power your home. (They can also be used to power your electric vehicle.) These options can be expensive, but they are quiet and take up minimal space. On the plus side, batteries qualify for tax credits and utility rebates which will help reduce the cost.</li>
 	<li><strong>Special solar inverters</strong> allow you to switch your home to 100% solar power and disconnect from the grid in the event of an outage. It is important to note that an inverter may not produce enough consistent power to run the whole house.</li>
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Of the three, battery backups and solar inverters are the most attractive, though both have their pluses and minuses. Generators can be noisy and require lots of maintenance, plus they operate on fuel that creates greenhouse gases.

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<h2>Still Have Questions?</h2>
While deciding to put solar panels on your home can be an easy decision, the choices can be a little more complicated when you get down to the particular details. The experts at Fusion solar are here to advise you and make installing solar easy. If you have any questions, give us a call at 480-676-1433.