Californians have embraced rooftop solar panels more than anyone in the U.S., but many are learning the hard way the systems won’t keep the lights on during blackouts.
That’s because most panels are designed to supply power to the grid — not directly to houses. During the heat of the day, solar systems can crank out more juice than a home can handle. Conversely, they don’t produce power at all at night. So systems are tied into the grid, and the vast majority aren’t working this week as PG&E Corp. cuts power to much of Northern California to prevent wildfires.
The only way for most solar panels to work during a blackout is pairing them with batteries. That market is just starting to take off. Sunrun Inc., the largest U.S. rooftop solar company, said some of its customers are making it through the blackouts with batteries, but it’s a tiny group — countable in the hundreds.
NY Nuns Fight Back After Kathy Hochul Orders Them to ‘Abandon Their Religious Beliefs’ or Close Their Nursing Home
Appeals Court Slaps Down Judge Boasberg’s Targeting of Trump Admin, Citing ‘A Clear Abuse of Discretion’
Dem fundraising giant in the hot seat as GOP lawmakers demand answers over dodged subpoena
Erika Kirk cancels University of Georgia TPUSA event appearance over ‘serious threats’
‘He should go’: Senate Dems turned on Swalwell ahead of resignation announcement
Thom Tillis slams Trump’s proposal to impose tolls on ships in Strait of Hormuz
Florida doctor charged after allegedly removing wrong organ during surgery
Ukraine has no ‘unrealistic expectations’ for Hungary as it pitches itself as ally to Magyar
Spanberger’s ‘unconstitutional’ push to redefine presidential elections makes voters ‘NULL AND VOID’: critics
Eric Swalwell scandal hangs over ‘best friend’ Ruben Gallego’s 2028 hopes
Watch: Pelosi and Fellow Dems Scramble to Defend Themselves from Fallout of Swalwell’s Implosion
Breaking: Woman Steps Forward with Darkest Accusations Yet Against Swalwell
Illegal immigrant driver charged with DUI after car veers off road, kills two children on bikes: police
House Dems unveil bill to examine removing Trump using 25th Amendment
Socialist Mamdani touts government-run grocery plan as ‘grand experiment’’ at grocery new site
“It’s the perfect combination for getting through these shutdowns,” Sunrun Chairman Ed Fenster said in an interview. He expects battery sales to boom in the wake of the outages.
And no, trying to run appliances off the power in a Tesla Inc. electric car won’t work, at least without special equipment.
Story cited here.
