Islanding
The ability of a solar + battery system to disconnect from the grid and operate independently, powering the home from stored and locally generated energy during an outage.
Why It Matters
Intentional islanding (via battery backup) provides power during outages. Unintentional islanding (without a battery) is dangerous and prevented by anti-islanding protection.
Related Terms
Anti-Islanding
A safety feature that automatically disconnects a grid-tied solar system from the utility grid during a power outage, preventing the system from energizing downed power lines.
Microgrid
A localized energy system that can operate connected to the main grid or independently (islanded). Typically includes generation (solar), storage (batteries), and load management.
Whole-Home Backup
A battery system sized to power an entire home during a grid outage, as opposed to backing up only essential/critical loads. Typically requires 2-4 batteries (30-50+ kWh).