Warning: My solar panel inverter failed during the heatwave in Phoenix last week, leaving me reliant on the grid.

I had to scramble to find a local technician who could fix it, which took three days and cost $450, so now I'm looking into battery backup systems. Has anyone else had a critical component fail and what was your backup plan?

3 comments

3 Comments

black.joel1mo ago

Yeah, that's a brutal way to find out you need a backup. Maybe look for an inverter with a longer warranty next time, some go up to 25 years.

kim1881mo ago

Wow, that's rough. I used to think a battery was just for blackouts, but a fried inverter in a heatwave shows you need backup for the system itself. I'm looking at a small battery now just to keep the fridge and a fan going if the panels quit. What kind of backup systems are you finding?

the_riley28d ago

Ever think about a small generator as a backup to the backup? I had my inverter go down too, and like black.joel said, a good warranty is key, but it doesn't help in the moment. A basic battery bank for the fridge kept me from losing everything.