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.

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.

Are solar inverters 'anti-island'?

All inverters are required to be able to be "anti-island." In other words, solar inverters are explicitly designed not to allow your solar panels to continue to push electricity into your home in the event of an outage.

How do solar inverters work?

By creating a small “solar energy island” your solar panels can keep operating your home without the risk of adding any unexpected electricity to the grid. To achieve this effect, you need special inverters that can operate in solar inverter island mode and reliable batteries with sufficient capacity.

Do you need a solar inverter?

To achieve this effect, you need special inverters that can operate in solar inverter island mode and reliable batteries with sufficient capacity. Both the specialized inverters and backup battery storage required to power your home without the grid are more expensive than a typical solar power system.

What causes solar islanding?

One of the primary causes of solar islanding is the presence of battery storage in a solar panel system with an inverter. The inverter converts the DC power generated by the PV panels into AC power for use by loads. This conversion process creates a circuit that can lead to islanding.