Question 1

How long can solar + battery last during a blackout?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your load and battery size. A 13.5 kWh Powerwall 3 with an 8 kW solar system running essential loads (fridge, lights, phone, router — ~3 kWh/day) can sustain a home indefinitely in full sun, or about 4.5 days without any solar.

Question 2

Can I use my EV as a home backup power source?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if your EV supports V2H (Vehicle-to-Home). The Ford F-150 Lightning can power a home for 3–10 days via its Charge Station Pro. The GMC Hummer EV, Chevy Silverado EV, and Nissan Leaf (via CHAdeMO) also support V2H in varying degrees.

Question 3

What is DOD (Depth of Discharge) for a home battery?

Accepted Answer

DOD is the percentage of a battery's total capacity you can use before recharging. Most home batteries allow 90–100% DOD. Using more DOD means more runtime but slightly faster long-term degradation.

Question 4

Is solar + battery worth it just for backup power?

Accepted Answer

Financially, solar + battery ROI is primarily driven by utility bill savings, not backup alone. But for homes in areas with frequent outages (Texas, California, Florida hurricane zones), the backup value adds $5,000–15,000 in peace-of-mind value that's harder to quantify.

Blackout Resilience Simulator