Does plug-in solar work during a power outage?

No. A plug-in solar system will not power your home during a grid outage. Plug-in solar is a small solar system, usually one or two panels and a microinverter, that plugs into a standard outlet rather than being wired into your electrical panel. The microinverter shuts down the moment it does not sense grid power, and it will not energize your circuits until the grid returns.

This is deliberate. It protects you when you touch the prongs after unplugging the inverter cord and it protects utility line workers who may be handling wires they expect to be dead. The behavior is called anti-islanding, and it is required of any grid-tied inverter sold in the United States.

This surprises people who assume solar panels mean backup power. Plug-in solar is a bill-reduction product, not a backup-power product. It offsets what you draw from the grid while the grid is running.

Do I need to do anything to make my system safe during an outage?

No. The shutdown is automatic and built into the microinverter. There is no switch to flip and nothing to disconnect.

Can I add a battery to get backup power?

Not to a standard plug-in kit as sold today. Plug-in battery systems with integrated inverters are already on sale in Europe and are starting to reach the US market, but they replace the microinverter rather than bolt onto it.

Will a generator work alongside plug-in solar?

A generator is a separate system with its own transfer arrangements. Your plug-in solar will probably work alongside the generator. Please check your generator instructions or ask the manufacturer whether they have concerns with solar operating alongside the generator.

Questions like this come up regularly in the Bright Saver Community, where plug-in solar pioneers trade questions, tips, hard-won experience and the occasional healthy disagreement.