Solar Backup

If you�re thinking about getting backup power in the event of a network failure, solar backup systems may be the answer for you. A good example of a solar backup system is the Sunny Backup System, made by SMA Solar Technology, which can supply electrical appliances with their own power. It�s very fast too. The manufacturer says that within 30 milliseconds it will switch over to stand-alone power supply even during the night or when the residents of the home are on holiday. This solar backup technology can be added to new as well as existing solar power systems quite easily and cheaply without any negative impact on the photovoltaic degree of efficiency.

So how does the solar backup work? During normal operation, solar power is fed into the public network through one or more inverters. When the network fails, the backup inverter supplies consumers inside the house directly, by forming a stand-alone network. The central component of the solar emergency power system is the additional inverter �Sunny Backup 5000� that manages the entire system.

Other components are the automatic switching device (AS box) that separates the photovoltaic generator from the network according to the respective standard in the event of a network failure, as well as a set of batteries. In the event of a network failure, Sunny Backup co-ordinates all switching, for example, the separation from the network and the switching of the PV system.

Together with the PV system, the solar backup system will provide electricity for the most important household or business appliances. The solar modules are used for direct supply as well as for re-charging the batteries. Direct operation during times of sunshine allows the battery set to be small and cost-efficient because generally it will only have to bridge the hours of the night. The parallel operation of a solar power system and batteries will ensure that even during a long-term power failure, electricity will be available for a significant period. One of the conditions for this is the consistent utilisation of the AC coupling developed by SMA that will ensure a hassle-free operation of Sunny Backup with the solar inverters. As soon as the public network is available again, the solar backup inverter will automatically and without any interruption switch back to network operation.