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Staying Safe & Solar Energy During a Storm

Written by

Briain Kelly

Last edited

24/01/2025

Storm Éowyn has left a record breaking 715,000 properties across Ireland without power this morning, the largest scale power outage ever caused by a storm in this country.

Winds gusting at 183km/h were reported at Mace Head at 5am on Friday morning, the strongest winds ever recorded there.

Most Status Red weather warnings are expiring on Friday morning, though a Red warning for Donegal is in place until 2pm. 

Status Orange and Yellow warnings will remain in place until 4pm on Friday as Storm Éowyn moves northward.

The damage from the storm has already left hundreds of thousands without power, and the ESB has warned of further power outages likely as the day goes on. It will also likely take several days to repair all of the damage resulting from Storm Éowyn.

Transport has also been severely disrupted nationwide due to downed trees and other debris across the country. Public transport is only starting to resume as the country comes out of Red weather warnings.

The public are advised to stay far away from any downed power lines they see as they may still be live and extremely dangerous.

Storm Eowyn 2 GCC – Damage caused by Storm Eowyn in Galway.
Photo: Galway County Council via Facebook

Power Outages with Solar Panels and a Battery

Many homes with solar panels and a battery installed will likely still find themselves without power if they suffer an outage as a result of Storm Éowyn.

All energy electricity from solar panels, and to and from a solar battery, must flow through the inverter as the central hub of the solar PV system.

Regulations require that the inverter cut power supply during an outage as a safety precaution to make sure that no electricity is sent back into the grid while repairs are taking place.

Are there ways to go off-grid with solar power?

It is possible to retain the use of solar panels and power stored in a battery during an outage, but this requires additional investment.

Homeowners and farms can install isolated circuits which are not connected to the grid and a switch to disconnect from the grid. This will require significant investment.

Huawei offers a dedicated backup box which allows their solar power systems to seamlessly switch to backup mode when there is a grid interruption.

Are Solar Panels in danger during a storm?

You might well be worried if a storm will blow solar panels off your roof, but there is no need for concern. Solar Mounting Structures, the frame which fastens solar panels to your roof, are all tested in a wind tunnel to ensure they can withstand storm strength winds and remain in place.

Solar panels themselves are also tested against adverse environmental conditions such as hail damage.

However, branches, twigs and leaves could end up on your solar PV panels during a storm. 

This is not a danger to the panels themselves, but debris may block sunlight, affecting electricity production. So, as soon as it is safe to do so, you should remove anything that blew on to your panels during the storm.

Charging an EV

Some EV chargers and home battery systems may also allow the charger to connect directly to the battery, bypassing the inverter. This should allow you to charge an electric car from your home battery in the event of a power outage.

Author:

Briain Kelly
EDITOR

Briain Kelly is a Leinster based journalist and content creator who has been writing about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for nearly three years. He researches the latest news in multiple areas related to solar power, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home energy upgrades. His writing includes both technological developments and government policy.

Author:

Briain Kelly
Renewable Energy Researcher

Briain Kelly is a Leinster based journalist and content creator who has been writing about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for nearly three years. He researches the latest news in multiple areas related to solar power, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home energy upgrades. His writing includes both technological developments and government policy.

Staying Safe & Solar Energy During a Storm

Written by

Briain Kelly

Last edited 

12/02/2025

Storm Éowyn has left a record breaking 715,000 properties across Ireland without power this morning, the largest scale power outage ever caused by a storm in this country.

Winds gusting at 183km/h were reported at Mace Head at 5am on Friday morning, the strongest winds ever recorded there.

Most Status Red weather warnings are expiring on Friday morning, though a Red warning for Donegal is in place until 2pm. 

Status Orange and Yellow warnings will remain in place until 4pm on Friday as Storm Éowyn moves northward.

The damage from the storm has already left hundreds of thousands without power, and the ESB has warned of further power outages likely as the day goes on. It will also likely take several days to repair all of the damage resulting from Storm Éowyn.

Transport has also been severely disrupted nationwide due to downed trees and other debris across the country. Public transport is only starting to resume as the country comes out of Red weather warnings.

The public are advised to stay far away from any downed power lines they see as they may still be live and extremely dangerous.

Storm Eowyn 2 GCC – Damage caused by Storm Eowyn in Galway.
Photo: Galway County Council via Facebook

Power Outages with Solar Panels and a Battery

Many homes with solar panels and a battery installed will likely still find themselves without power if they suffer an outage as a result of Storm Éowyn.

All energy electricity from solar panels, and to and from a solar battery, must flow through the inverter as the central hub of the solar PV system.

Regulations require that the inverter cut power supply during an outage as a safety precaution to make sure that no electricity is sent back into the grid while repairs are taking place.

Are there ways to go off-grid with solar power?

It is possible to retain the use of solar panels and power stored in a battery during an outage, but this requires additional investment.

Homeowners and farms can install isolated circuits which are not connected to the grid and a switch to disconnect from the grid. This will require significant investment.

Huawei offers a dedicated backup box which allows their solar power systems to seamlessly switch to backup mode when there is a grid interruption.

Are Solar Panels in danger during a storm?

You might well be worried if a storm will blow solar panels off your roof, but there is no need for concern. Solar Mounting Structures, the frame which fastens solar panels to your roof, are all tested in a wind tunnel to ensure they can withstand storm strength winds and remain in place.

Solar panels themselves are also tested against adverse environmental conditions such as hail damage.

However, branches, twigs and leaves could end up on your solar PV panels during a storm. 

This is not a danger to the panels themselves, but debris may block sunlight, affecting electricity production. So, as soon as it is safe to do so, you should remove anything that blew on to your panels during the storm.

Charging an EV

Some EV chargers and home battery systems may also allow the charger to connect directly to the battery, bypassing the inverter. This should allow you to charge an electric car from your home battery in the event of a power outage.

Author:

Briain Kelly
EDITOR

Briain Kelly is a Leinster based journalist and content creator who has been writing about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for nearly three years. He researches the latest news in multiple areas related to solar power, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home energy upgrades. His writing includes both technological developments and government policy.

Author:

Briain Kelly
Renewable Energy Researcher

Briain Kelly is a Leinster based journalist and content creator who has been writing about energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies for nearly three years. He researches the latest news in multiple areas related to solar power, electric vehicles, heat pumps, and home energy upgrades. His writing includes both technological developments and government policy.

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