Your home. Your energy. Your decision.

When the power stops, what should keep going?

The fridge. Your home office. A comfortable room. Backup becomes easier to value when you connect stored energy to the everyday things you want to protect.

Explore what I would keep running ↓

For your booked consultation. Explore what helps; keep your earliest useful Zoom.

A lit home with Powerwall during stormy weather — Tesla product illustration. Actual backup depends on the system and selected loads.

Solar makes electricity. Backup makes it available when you need another source.

A standard grid-connected solar system usually shuts down during a grid outage unless it has the right backup equipment. Panels alone are not the same as outage protection.

Essentials

Prioritize the fridge, internet, selected lights and outlets. A smaller set of loads can stretch a given energy reserve.

More comfort

Heating or cooling adds a different level of demand. Review both the power needed to start it and the energy needed to keep it running.

A larger home plan

Multiple batteries and the right electrical architecture can support a broader set of loads. Start with the desired experience, then design for it.

On Zoom, we can turn your selected loads into a design and price so you can decide whether that level of comfort is worth the investment.

Illustrative comparison · not a sizing recommendation

See why the same battery can feel very different in two homes.

One home is preserving essentials. Another is charging an EV and running air conditioning. The important difference is what they ask the stored energy to do.

What would you want to keep running?

Check the comforts you value. Watch how adding a large load changes the energy budget.

Fridge150 W illustrative averageInternet router20 W illustrative averageSelected LED lights60 W illustrative averageLaptop / home office70 W illustrative averageFreezer80 W illustrative averageGas-furnace blower500 W illustrative averageCentral A/C3000 W illustrative averageEV charging7200 W illustrative average

Powerwall-size energy units13.5 kWh each in this example; not a battery-count recommendation.Available starting charge (%)Other average load (watts)

Energy-only teaching model: 13.5 kWh per unit × available charge × 90% remaining after assumed losses ÷ selected average kW. Loads are illustrative averages, not appliance specifications or measured duty cycles. No solar recharge is assumed. Runtime also changes with reserve, temperature, battery age and actual usage. Starting surges, simultaneous power demand, circuits and system architecture need design review. A longer calculated duration does not prove a load can start or run.

These calculator entries stay on this page; this tool does not send them to Mike or a lender.

The useful result is life continuing.

This is what backup has meant in Mike’s own home.

Mike’s own-home experience · paraphrased from his account

He learned about the outage from the neighbors.

Mike bought solar for his own home about ten years ago and added batteries about five years ago. He runs his business from home, so reliable power is part of keeping his work and daily life moving.

In a recorded conversation, he described noticing neighbors’ outage complaints on Facebook while his own lights and appliances kept working. The interruption people around him were discussing had not become the same interruption inside his home.

That is the benefit he wants homeowners to picture: the fridge staying cold, useful lights staying on, and the parts of everyday life you chose to protect continuing. Your design determines which loads and how long; his experience is not a runtime promise for another home.

For your home: choose the routine you want to preserve. Then compare the equipment and complete price needed to support it.

Powerwall mounted outside a home — Product image from Ask Solar Mike’s website. Not a documented customer outcome.

Tesla app showing home energy information — Tesla app illustration. Displayed readings are not your home’s savings.

Can I add batteries to existing solar?

Often, yes. Your existing inverter, service equipment, circuits and utility arrangement determine the design. Tell Mike what you have so the proposal covers the integration.

Does a long runtime result mean my air conditioner will start?

No. This tool compares energy use only. Starting demand and simultaneous power must fit the actual system. Those are separate design checks.

Could solar recharge the batteries during an outage?

With a compatible backup design and available sunlight, solar may recharge them. Weather and loads matter; the explorer intentionally assumes no recharge.

Choose the comfort first.

Bring your selected loads to Zoom. Mike can compare the scope and price of the backup plan that fits your home.

See ways to pay for the plan →

Your appointment is already booked.

Use the Zoom link in your existing appointment confirmation. You can choose your system, review the price and terms, and complete an agreement on that call when it fits. Reading every page is optional.

Powerwall specifications ↗How Powerwall works ↗

Source and offer check: September 14, 2026. Actual written proposal, lender terms and project agreements govern. Product illustrations are separate from customer testimonials.