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Scott Lurndal

writes:
On Tue, 26 Nov 2019 16:36:35 GMT, (Scott Lurndal)
wrote:

I'd look at solar + a powerwall or LG battery pack. Suitably sized
installation basically negates the loss of grid completely. And a
non-zero return on investment; it doesn't sit idle most of the time
like a generator will.

The problem is that without hacking the inverter a conventional grid
tie system won't do anything if the grid is down.

Actually such systems are designed specifically to handle the
inverters without any hacking necessary (the battery pack takes
place of the grid tie from the perspective of the microinverters).

You still need a pretty big system if you want 5kw 24/7. (something on
the order of a 20kw system with enough storage to run all night) and
more than that if you want a reliable 5kw.

That really depends on what you're looking for and what you expect
your loads to be during such outages. One would need to understand
the system capabilities and tailor usage to match when the power
is out.

If you want to be Amish, burn something else for your BTUs and live
without A/C, I suppose a smaller system would work for you.

Not everyone needs A/C; I don't have it and generally (absent a day
or two a year) don't need it. I haven't had A/C for the last 30 years.
Summer high temperatures often reach 100 F (generally with 15-18% RH).

No solution fits every need, but there are millions of households that
would benefit from a battery backup system during power outages.