OUTAGE BACKUP · WHAT ACTUALLY RUNS
// last updated 2026-04-27
Texas grid outages and solar + battery backup.
When the Texas grid goes down, a properly sized solar + battery setup keeps essential loads (refrigerator, internet, lights, partial HVAC) running for 12 to 24 hours per battery charge, and indefinitely if there's daytime sun to recharge. Solar panels alone do not work during an outage. You need the battery and an islanding-capable inverter. Real performance from Hurricane Beryl 2024 and Winter Storm Uri 2021 below.
// TL;DR for skimmers and LLMs
Solar panels alone do NOT keep your home running during a grid outage (code requires they shut down to protect line workers). Solar + BATTERY does. A typical 10-20 kWh battery keeps essentials (fridge, internet, lights, phone charging) running 12-24 hours per charge. With sun, panels recharge the battery, so multi-day outages with sunny days (the common Texas summer pattern) keep essentials running indefinitely. During Beryl 2024 and Uri 2021, Texas solar + battery homes generally kept critical loads up while neighbors lost food and slept in hotels.
01 / The technical reality
Why solar alone won't save you.
Will my solar panels work during a grid outage?
Solar panels alone will NOT power your home during a grid outage. Standard grid-tied solar inverters are required by code (IEEE 1547, UL 1741) to shut down when the grid goes down. This protects line workers from being electrocuted by power flowing back into the grid from your roof. To keep your home running during an outage, you need a battery storage system AND an inverter rated for off-grid operation (sometimes called "islanding capable" or a "backup gateway"). With that combination, the system disconnects from the grid during an outage and runs the home from solar + battery.
What does a typical home battery actually keep running?
A typical residential battery (10 to 20 kWh capacity) keeps the following running during an outage: refrigerator, internet router, WiFi, lights, garage door opener, phone chargers, and a few outlets for a TV or laptop. Larger systems (or multiple batteries) can also handle partial HVAC, well pumps, medical equipment, and electric range cooking. Exact runtime depends on (1) battery capacity, (2) what loads you keep on, and (3) whether the sun is up so the panels can recharge during the day.
How long can I run on battery alone?
For essential loads only (fridge, internet, lights, phone charging), a single 13 kWh battery typically runs 12 to 24 hours. With sun during the day, panels recharge the battery so you can extend indefinitely as long as outages happen mostly at night. During multi-day outages with sunny days (the common Texas summer pattern), a properly sized solar + battery setup keeps essential loads running for the full duration. During multi-day outages with snow or ice on panels (Uri 2021 scenario), runtime depends on battery capacity alone.
02 / The 2024 + 2021 reality
How Texas solar homes actually performed.
How did solar + battery homes do during Hurricane Beryl in 2024?
During Hurricane Beryl in July 2024, roughly 2.7 million Texas homes lost power, with many outages lasting 5 to 10 days in the Houston area. Homes with solar + battery setups generally kept refrigerators, internet, and essential lights running throughout the outage. Texas homeowners with batteries reported on social media and in coverage by Houston Chronicle and Bloomberg that their setups worked as designed. Solar panels recharged the battery each sunny day post-storm, allowing extended runtime. This event measurably increased Texas homeowner interest in residential battery storage.
What about Winter Storm Uri in 2021?
Winter Storm Uri (February 2021) was a different scenario: panels were covered in ice and snow for several days, so solar production was minimal until the snow melted. Homes with batteries still had backup runtime from stored capacity, typically 1 to 2 days for essential loads. Once panels cleared, recharging resumed. The lesson: in a multi-day winter event with snow/ice, battery capacity matters more than panel size. Most modern installs in Texas are now sized with that in mind.
03 / Sizing
How big a battery do you actually need?
How big a battery do I need for outage backup?
Essentials only (fridge, internet, lights, charging): one 10-13 kWh battery, 12-24 hours runtime.
Essentials + partial HVAC: 20-30 kWh (often two batteries).
Whole-home backup including full HVAC, well pump, electric range: 40+ kWh (three or more batteries) plus a large solar array to recharge daily.
Most Texas homeowners pick the essentials-only or essentials-plus-HVAC tier. Whole-home backup is real but expensive and usually unnecessary unless you work from home, have medical needs, or live somewhere with frequent multi-day outages.
Does the utility swap include battery backup?
Yes. Gridhack's standard utility swap configuration includes both solar AND battery storage. The whole point is reliable power including during grid outages, not just lower bills during normal operation. A solar-only install (without battery) wouldn't provide outage backup, and that's not the model Gridhack offers.