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Homeowner reveals clever off-grid solution that saved her family during 48-hour power outage

"This thing actually works."

A dimly lit urban street scene at dusk, featuring a bus stop and glowing vehicle lights.

Photo Credit: iStock

As intense storms in the US become more frequent, improving your home's energy resiliency is vital to weathering power outages. One homeowner took to Reddit and shared how their solar panel and home battery system kept their lights on during a harrowing storm. 

The homeowner revealed that a frigid ice storm knocked out power in the region for several days. "Trees just started snapping everywhere; [they] sounded like gunshots. More than half our parish is still dark," they wrote. 

The user explained that they had installed two EcoFlow Delta Pro home batteries to pair with their rooftop solar panel array. As the storm rolled in and grid power went down, their system automatically took over to keep the lights on. 

"[It] took 20 seconds," the original poster said. "I didn't even notice except the microwave clock reset." 


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Installing solar panels and backup batteries is one of the best ways to protect your home from grid-wide outages, all while cutting down on energy costs and harmful fossil fuel consumption. TCD's partner EnergySage estimated that some homeowners who install solar panels can save over $10,000 on energy bills over the lifetime of their system. 

If you're interested in getting solar, EnergySage offers free resources for quick solar installation estimates and makes it easy to compare competitive quotes

In the OP's case, ongoing cloud cover meant their rooftop solar struggled to keep their batteries topped off. Even with the below-average solar performance, the OP's family was still able to keep all of their vital appliances, as well as some non-essentials, powered throughout the entire outage. 

"This thing actually works," the homeowner concluded. 

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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.

To get started, just answer a few questions about your home β€” no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.

If you're ready to make your home more resilient, consider taking advantage of EnergySage's free services to find the best deals and installers in your area. 

It even offers a helpful mapping tool that compares the average cost of a solar panel system, along with detailed information on local incentives, at the state level. There are a surprising number of local incentives available for energy-efficient upgrades, and you don't want to miss out when installing.

Installing batteries with solar can help protect your home from annoying outages, boost your savings, and even allow you to go completely off-grid, depending on the size of your system. Luckily, EnergySage's advisors can also get you information on the best battery options and competitive installation estimates based on your home and budget.

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