4 Facts About Grid-Tie PV Systems and Why an LG RESU Prime Is the Best Option for Battery Backup

Grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems produce electricity for your home and send excess energy to the grid when your system creates more power than you need. When your solar energy system isn’t generating enough electricity for your needs, such as at night or during “peak” energy usage hours, you must purchase electricity from the grid.

This works well in many parts of the country where the electric utility charges a flat rate for power and has no time-of-use rate plan. It is also ideal for utilities with reliable power.

Grid-Tie Solar without Battery Backup Benefits

Simple design
Most affordable form of solar energy
Best cost-benefit when installed in areas without time-of-use rates
Receive credit for any extra power produced by your PV system with net metering
Your meter will spin backwards and the excess power will be credited to your account for future use when your PV system doesn't offset your usage

But what happens if your utility has a grid outage?

Your solar panels can’t supply energy during a power outage because the inverters that convert solar DC power to AC power are shut down during the blackout. This “shut-down” occurs because the inverter is disconnected from the grid to protect utility crews that are deployed for repairs.

If the outage occurs during sunlight hours, the electricity that would have been produced by your PV system can't be used to power your home and any excess energy that your system might have produced can’t be sent to the grid.

Grid-Tie Solar without Battery Backup Drawbacks

No power during a grid outage
Electricity produced by your PV system can't be used to power your home
And excess electricity produced by your PV system can't be sent to the grid

How can I power my home in a grid outage with my PV system?

You can power your home at any time (day or night) and during a power outage with a battery backup system. With battery backup, excess power from your PV system charges a battery which will automatically be activated during a grid outage to provide uninterrupted power for your home.

Not only can a battery be a source for power during a grid outage, but the Energy Storage System (ESS) of an LG RESU Prime and compatible inverter can be used to schedule the battery to supply power for your home at specific times. This is ideal in areas where the utility charges time-of-use rates. In these locations, the battery can provide power during expensive periods and the grid can provide power during low-cost periods.

Grid-Tie Solar with Battery Backup - The Best of Both Worlds

Receive all the benefits of grid-tie solar and spin the meter backwards
But when the grid goes down, you will have power, while many of your neighbors will not
Even if you don't have many outages, an LG RESU Prime battery can be used to offset expensive time-of-use rates

LG Energy Solution RESU Prime - Trusted Lithium-Ion Performance

The LG RESU Prime battery combined with a SolarEdge Energy Hub inverter with optimizers and Backup Interface provide all the needed components in one system.

LG Energy Solution RESU10H (RESU 10H) Prime HV Battery
LG Energy Solution RESU16H (RESU 16H) Prime HV Battery
Proven Safety
97.5% Efficiency
Maintenance Free
Reliable Performance
Up To 100% Depth of Discharge
Long Lifespan with a 10-Year Warranty
Compact Size, Space Saving and Lightweight (RESU10H - 246 lbs and RESU16H - 352 lbs)
9.6 kWh Usable Energy (RESU10H) and 16kWh Usable Energy (RESU16H)
- Single Battery with SolarEdge Energy Hub Inverter
19.2 kWh Usable Energy (RESU10H) and 32kWh Usable Energy (RESU16H)
- Two Batteries with SolarEdge Energy Hub Inverter
5kW continuous with 7kW peak power output (RESU10H) and 7kW continuous with 11kW peak power output (RESU16H)