Project Background
An American homeowner started with a 10 kW on-grid array to offset consumption, then – after a series of storm-related blackouts – upgraded to a 12 kW hybrid system with lithium storage in 2024. The phased path spread the investment while steadily improving resilience.
The Challenge
The first phase cut bills but left the home dark during outages. The upgrade had to reuse the existing array, carry critical loads – refrigeration, well pump, heating controls and communications – through multi-day outages, and pass US permitting with listed equipment.
Our Solution
The retrofit added a 12 kW hybrid inverter and a LiFePO4 battery bank to the existing 10 kW array, with a critical-loads subpanel separating essential circuits from general loads. All equipment is listed to UL standards for straightforward permitting, and the inverter’s fast transfer keeps the critical panel live through every outage.
Results & Benefits
- Phase one cut the annual bill; phase two added multi-day outage ride-through.
- Critical loads secured – refrigeration, well pump, heating controls and communications never lose power.
- Existing array fully reused – no stranded investment in the upgrade.
- A recommended path for US buyers balancing payback against growing outage risk.
