A home battery keeps essential circuits running during outages and public safety power shutoffs. It automatically powers items like your fridge, lights, internet and key outlets when the grid goes down. Size it around the loads you want to back up and how long you need them to last.
Power outages and public safety power shutoffs are a fact of life in much of California, especially in fire-prone areas. A home battery keeps the lights on and the essentials running when the grid goes down. This guide explains how backup works, what it can power, and how to size it for resilience.
How Backup Works
When the grid goes down, a home battery automatically powers your chosen circuits, so the transition is seamless for the loads you protect. Paired with solar, the battery recharges from your panels during the day, which can keep essential power flowing through multi-day outages.
What a Battery Can Power
Most homeowners back up essential circuits: the refrigerator, lights, internet, phone charging and key plugs. Larger systems can cover more, including some heating and cooling. What you protect is a design choice based on your priorities and battery size.
Sizing for Resilience
Backup sizing depends on how much you want to run and for how long. In high-fire-threat areas, where shutoffs can last days, larger storage and solar recharging matter more. Your system is sized to cover the loads and duration that matter most to your household.
- Backup engages automatically when the grid goes down.
- Essentials like the fridge, lights and internet stay powered.
- Paired solar recharges the battery through multi-day outages.
- Sizing reflects your priority loads and outage duration.