Don’t trip your battery inverter during a power outage

A lot has changed within the clean energy movement over the last decade. Most American homeowners are beginning to better understand how their solar + storage systems work. For instance, it’s commonly known that this combo can help them cut utility costs and offer more security during a power outage. But there are also a few things that should be common knowledge but often aren’t—like the fact that their inverter can trip if the system is overloaded. Today, we’ll dive into what nuisance tripping is, along with ways to prevent it. And yes, it’s as annoying as it sounds.  

What is an inverter?   

An inverter is a vital component of every home solar system. It converts the direct current (DC) electricity that solar panels produce into usable alternating current (AC) electricity for home use. Batteries also store DC energy. When you add an energy storage system into the mix, the battery is paired with an inverter so that the solar + storage system works as a cohesive unit.  

During an outage, the excess energy stored in the battery is used to run the home. It seems like a simple concept but without the proper setup, there are a couple of things that can go wrong:  

1. Without energy management, too many electrical loads running simultaneously can cause the solar inverter to trip or turn off completely.  

2. Without strategically allocating power, the solar battery could quickly deplete. 

3. Without manual intervention, you have limited ability to change essential appliances as needed.  

The best thing an installer can do is set you up with a way to optimize your stored energy and prevent the above issues from happening. It’s common practice for solar installers to stack additional inverters onto the system or turn to protected loads panels to do the job. But this stacking tends to come with a hefty price tag and protected loads panels have no flexibility. Luckily, a more intelligent solution has hit the market at a very competitive price, smart panels. But we’re getting a little ahead of ourselves. First, let’s talk about what nuisance tripping is.  

What is nuisance tripping?  

Inverters have a maximum power threshold that they can continuously output. Nuisance tripping occurs when several large electrical loads run simultaneously and exceed that threshold. This causes the inverter to shut down, preventing the battery from properly doing its job. And it doesn’t take long for this to happen. The backup system only needs to be overburdened with a simultaneous occurrence for a very short period of time before nuisance tripping will take effect. We’re talking seconds. Once this happens, you can expect a blackout that will require a manual reset from a technician. As you can imagine, this can be costly and the wait for repair – frustrating. 

So how does a energy storage system get overwhelmed? Appliances that require a lot of electricity to power up are usually the culprit. This is often seen in appliances that run in cycles such as an HVAC unit (central heating and air) or pool pump. With a smart panel, these appliances can be automatically disconnected when the power goes out to prevent too many heavy electrical loads from running at the same time. 

How can smart panels protect an inverter from nuisance tripping?  

Smart panels monitor and manage the heaviest energy consumers in your home. Unlike a protected loads panel, you can prioritize these circuits in order of most essential to least through an app. During a blackout, those marked as less important will stay powered until your battery capacity hits a specific threshold.  Once that threshold is met, the lower priority appliances will be shed off in succession to extend the battery’s runtime. However, anything shed off will remain on demand in case you later decide that you need them again. This protects the inverter from nuisance tripping.  

Why are smart panels beneficial for a Tesla Powerwall 3? 

For batteries such as the Tesla Powerwall 3, the solution of a smart panel is especially helpful. Powerwall 3 is unique in that it currently cannot be stacked for a higher power threshold. Here’s what we mean. Currently, a Powerwall 3 has a power threshold of approximately 48 amps. This threshold can easily be exceeded using a residential electrical vehicle charger alone. If you want to add more power, you don’t have the option to add two Powerwall 3 batteries to create a higher threshold of 96 amps. This is why a smart panel is useful. The smart panel can manage your appliances in a way that uses the Powerwall 3’s stored energy strategically, without ever surpassing the threshold. But it’s important to find a smart panel that is integrated with Tesla Powerwall 3 for battery state of charge. Not all smart panels have this capability.  

State of charge describes how much energy is currently available for use in your battery. When the battery’s charge reaches a certain level, say 50% charged, the Lumin Smart Panel begins to automatically shed circuits based on your previously set preferences. This is what keeps your battery from depleting too quickly. The Lumin Smart Panel integrates with Tesla Powerwall +, Powerwall 2 and Powerwall 3, as well as SolarEdge, Enphase, EG4 and FranklinWH for battery state of charge.  

Nuisance tripping is a real risk for every solar + storage system. But it’s easily preventable with a smart energy management system. The best part is that you get multiple advantages with a smart panel, beyond just protecting your battery and inverter.  It’s a smart investment – literally.  

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