The idea that solar panels will keep your home running in the event of a utility power outage is one of the most common fallacies about them. Contrary to popular opinion, solar panels cannot provide your home with electricity when the grid is down. 

Therefore, you need a backup plan if you want your lights to stay on when the rest of your neighborhood goes dark. The good news is that gas-powered generators can be connected to homes with solar panels, but the process can be challenging. 

How do generators that run on gas operate? 

Before discussing how they interact with solar power, let’s review some fundamentals regarding whole-home backup generators. These massive generators, often known as “standby generators,” can back up entire homes for lengthy periods. 

When a power loss is detected, the generator’s automatic transfer switch (ATS) automatically changes your home’s power source from the grid to the generator. Numerous whole-home generators use various fossil fuels, such as propane, natural gas, diesel, and gasoline. 

Do solar energy systems and generators sync up? 

The truth is that your solar panels won’t turn on when the grid is down, even if you have a standby generator connected to your house. Unfortunately, you cannot power your home simultaneously with solar and generator electricity. 

In other words, the generator and solar panels can’t run simultaneously. 

As previously stated, the input solar panels give to the grid puts utility repair personnel in danger. Like they would damage the solar system or the generator if left on, the panels would transmit feedback to the power source. In addition, most solar inverters can’t be started by electricity generators anyway. 

This does not imply that having solar precludes having a standby generator or that having solar prevents having a standby generator installed. When it comes to off-grid solutions, many residences have both solar panels and generators. 

Just the right wiring of the panels and generator is required to prevent interference between the two. You can get assistance from your solar installer or a licensed electrician to determine the best (and safest) approach to take in this situation.

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