Many homeowners are considering equipping their new photovoltaic system with battery storage. In addition to greater independence from the supplier, there is often the expectation of continuing to receive electricity from your own system in the event of a temporary power failure. “Conventional PV systems are not designed as emergency power or backup power systems,” says Cathrin Becker, energy consultant at the consumer advice center.
Photovoltaic system in the event of a power failure
Photovoltaic systems are connected to the public power grid, into which they can feed excess energy. If the grid fails, the system switches off immediately. If a battery storage system is to be used as an emergency power system, this range of functions must be commissioned. This can include an emergency power socket on the storage unit or automatic switching to backup power operation. These features are available from some providers at an additional cost.
The emergency power supply is limited in time
“The expectations are usually higher than the emergency power solution offers,” says the expert. Before you decide on such a solution, you should carefully consider to what extent the power outage would affect you personally. In the event of a prolonged power outage lasting more than a day, even a larger battery storage system would not be sufficient. Then a PV system with a storage unit that can be charged even without mains power can help if the system on the roof supplies electricity. For this purpose, inverters and battery storage systems must communicate with each other. “In your specific case, talk to your electrical contractor about which system makes sense for you and how much it costs,” recommends Becker.
If an existing photovoltaic system is to be retrofitted with battery storage, regardless of an emergency power or backup power function, the expert from the consumer advice center recommends comparing storage costs from different providers. “The price level is currently very high. Although a storage system increases independence, a self-consumption rate of more than 70% is not realistic. In winter you still have to get electricity from the grid,” explains the energy consultant. The costs and benefits must therefore be weighed up and, if necessary, a later purchase is worth considering.
Source:
Also read our fact checks:
Climate neutrality: fact check and classification
Bird with countless legs: real or AI-generated?
Vibrations for the muscles: massage guns in a fact check
If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:
📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.
Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!
* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!
Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

