Climate change has opened the door to an influx of extreme weather events, leaving a string of power outages in their wake.
In 2022, an unprecedented storm brought down transmission towers in South Australia leaving the entire state without power, and just last year not one, but two extreme flooding events swept through Queensland and New South Wales, leaving critical south-east Queensland substation almost entirely underwater.
Across Australia, blackouts are becoming more common, whether from intense summer heatwaves, bushfires damaging transmission lines, or storms lashing the east coast.
Building resilience to these newfound risks into the grid takes time, and as utilities race to safeguard their critical infrastructure against extreme weather events, many households are faced with the frightening prospect that the next storm could lead to a widespread outage.
An outage is. A major inconvenience for all Australians, and for those who rely on life-support systems it can even be deadly without a back-up solution in place.
The good news is that a solar (or PV) system can keep supplying our homes with power during a blackout – provided it is properly equipped.
Most solar systems actually shut down during a grid failure, but to keep producing solar energy, homeowners need an inverter with an emergency power function. Fronius offers several options.
Backup power socket
During an outage, selected single-phase loads (up to 3kW) can be powered via a fused socket as long as the sun is shining. This backup socket, known as a PV Point, works without a battery and can run essential devices such as routers, fridges or mobile phone chargers.
All Fronius GEN24 and GEN24 Plus inverters are PV Point-capable, making it simple to implement this type of basic backup supply.
If you want your entire household to stay powered during a blackout, a full backup system is the answer. An automatic switching device detects the outage and seamlessly switches to alternative power sources such as the battery or solar system. When the grid is back online, the system automatically reconnects without manual intervention.
A dependable energy reserve
A solar battery can store energy for use at night or on cloudy days. But not every battery is blackout-ready. For true reliability, the battery needs a backup power function and solar recharging capability in stand-alone mode.
With the Fronius Solar.web platform, you can even pre-charge your battery from the grid at the touch of a button for example, if a storm is forecast or bushfire conditions are likely, increasing the chance of a localised outage.
Modern storage systems can also be intelligently managed, charging or discharging at cost-effective times of day, helping to ease the household budget.
Restarting without the grid
What if the power goes out at night and the battery is flat? That’s where black start capability becomes a game-changer. Many systems can only restart once the grid stabilises. A black start-capable system, however, can power up automatically with the first rays of sunlight, no grid support required.
Not all solar inverters or batteries offer this feature, but for homeowners aiming for true energy independence, it’s worth considering. Fronius hybrid inverters and the Fronius Reserva high-voltage battery are both black start capable.
Secure energy supply
Those interested in short-term cost savings often overlook the cybersecurity risks that come with modern solar technology. There are growing concerns backed by expert reports that some inverters have vulnerabilities or undocumented communication components which, in worst-case scenarios, could allow malicious actors to interfere with grid stability. While there’s no confirmed case in Australia yet of an inverter being used to trigger a blackout, the risk is taken seriously by regulators and government bodies.
Fronius takes issues such as energy security, cyber security, remote control and data protection very seriously. Their systems are developed in Europe and meet the most stringent security requirements. Data is stored exclusively on servers in Austria and in European clouds.
Fronius offers all the components you need for 24 hours of sun, a complete solar system from a single source. The Fronius Reserva is a powerful battery that perfectly rounds off the energy system for your home, complementing the portfolio. All components are perfectly matched and work together seamlessly. This ensures efficient and reliable operation. Customers also benefit from the Fronius warranty and the expertise of an Austrian family business with more than 80 years of experience.
For more information about the Fronius Backup Power Solutions visit fronius.com
