PV panels no battery, off-grid? Doomsday planning(!)

[Benpointer]

Sorry to post this but I'm having some dark thoughts...

 

I have 4kW of PV panels, no battery.  I appreciate I cannot use the power generated by the PV during a grid power cut.  

 

But if the worst happened with Russia and the grid failed permanently, yet here in rural Dorset we were still alive, is there anyway I could completely disconnect from the (non-working) grid and configure the panels and inverter to make use of that PV generation during the day? 

Edited October 9, 2022 by Benpointer
Typos

[JohnMo]

Think you would need an off grid inverter to switch over to.  Other may have a better answer.

[ProDave]

If the grid has failed that catastrophically, maintaining an electricity supply is the least of your troubles.  Finding food and drinking water and making sure you get it not one of the other survivors will be your top priority. 

[SteamyTea]

Read this, then drink a big drink.

 

[Benpointer]

Lol yes, maybe that's right.  

 

As least we will be able to drink the contents of our wine cellar as we go.

 

😉

[Pocster]

World ended 

Edited October 9, 2022 by pocster
World ended

[SteamyTea]

31 minutes ago, pocster said:

World ended 

Just think, you can have that homo erotic relationship with Will Smith, and no one will be around to care.

[JohnMo]

That must the biggest tangent from the original question ever.

[mike2016]

Mine detect grid failure and switch off to protect line workers making repairs. I have an essential load function on the DC coupled battery but it's not hooked up - that WOULD work in that scenario. Without a battery you would need a changeover switch to allow the inverter to work without bring grid tied (if it supports this, some don't) and then either a generator or battery to carry the load an ensure minimum line voltage / current maintained when the panels get shade / clouds / voltage drops to avoid damaging your electrical appliances and maintain frequency. Harmonizing frequency and start up load and otehr issues need bigger brains than mine! So, it's possible but on their own - best you could hope for is to charge something, not run something without more kit. 

[SteamyTea]

27 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

That must the biggest tangent from the original question ever.

Yes, but just had to say it, boredom was kicking in after a long, 6 hour, car journey.

[Radian]

I was about to say that Islanding (shutting down the inverter in case of grid outage) will be a feature of any DNO approved grid-tied inverter installed in the UK. Now I'm wondering if there are any examples of off-grid solar PV inverters that automatically switch over that are approved? This little 48V solar inverter charger with grid input (2.4kW) might be enough to keep some lights on and run a radio