Project Background
With Lebanon’s grid limited to a few hours of supply per day, a Beirut household installed a 5-6 kW hybrid solar system in 2023 to take control of its own power – joining thousands of Lebanese homes that switched to solar during the energy crisis.
The Challenge
The household depended on a diesel generator for most of every day: expensive fuel, constant noise, exhaust fumes and the anxiety of rationing. Space was tight, and the system had to work with the existing rooftop and the neighbourhood’s shared generator schedule.
Our Solution
We combined a roof-mounted array with a wall-mounted hybrid inverter and stacked LiFePO4 batteries. Operating in battery-priority mode, the system uses solar first, stores surplus for the evening, and draws from the grid or generator only when batteries run low – reversing the old pattern of generator dependence.
Results & Benefits
- Generator runtime slashed – solar now covers most daily consumption, with batteries carrying the evening.
- Fuel bills and noise gone – the generator idles except in extended bad weather.
- Immediate quality-of-life improvement – lights, refrigeration and internet stay on when the grid fails.
- Rapid payback – modest system sizes pay back fastest where diesel generation was the daily default.
