This article is intended for our colleagues who install whole-home generators in Southwest Florida. Licensed electricians often don’t realize they are creating a hazardous situation that could severely damage equipment. Warranties for generators or Solar inverters can be voided by failing to take into account important factors. We have seen this time and time again, so we wanted to point out a correct way to integrate a grid-interactive solar energy system with a new whole-home generator.

Whether you are installing a new whole-home backup generator with Solar Panels, or whether you are adding solar panels to a home with a backup generator, this article may apply. There are too many scenarios to explain every one, but this is the most common question we come across.

The bottom line is you cannot allow solar panels and a generator to work in parallel. They must be electrically isolated at all times. If solar inverters “see” voltage from a generator, they will attempt to sync with the generator and backfeed power to it. Any time solar production exceeds loads in the building, solar inverters attempt to send power to the utility grid. As a huge “battery” of sorts, the grid can handle this small amount of backfeed. Typical residential standby generators cannot.

Please watch this video for more information:

It is important to note that solar panels cannot be used in a utility outage without batteries. Solar panels also can’t work in parallel with a generator to reduce fuel usage. These are two common consumer misconceptions that you need to be aware of when you encounter a client that has Existing Solar Panels. There is a lot of misinformation floating around, shady solar contractors, and lack of consumer education on solar energy.

If you are in our service area, we would be happy to assist you with re-integrating a solar panel interconnection with your generator installation. If you need advice prior to bidding or installing a standby generator or a critical load generator, do not hesitate to contact us. We partner with electricians to ensure a smooth customer experience. Ultimately, it’s in our best interest to work together to keep homeowners safe and equipment operating properly.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help.

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