How to Prepare Your System for a Planned Outage or Vacation

How to Prepare Your System for a Planned Outage or Vacation

Audience: External (Public) 

Purpose: To provide simple, step-by-step instructions for homeowners on how to configure their MeterHome™ system to be best prepared for an incoming storm, a planned grid maintenance event, or a long vacation.

Be Prepared, Stay Powered

Your MeterHome™ system is designed to operate automatically, but a little preparation can give you extra peace of mind for special situations like a big storm or a long trip away from home. With a few simple taps in your 'SolarHope' app, you can ensure your system is perfectly configured for your needs.

How to Prepare for a Storm or Planned Grid Outage

If you know a major storm is coming or your utility has scheduled a maintenance outage, your top priority is to have as much stored energy as possible. The best way to do this is by switching to Back-Up Mode.

What Back-Up Mode Does: This mode tells your system to prioritize one thing: charging the battery to 100% and keeping it there. It will use any available solar or grid power to fill the battery and will not use the stored energy for daily savings. It saves every drop of power for the moment the grid goes down.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Open the 'SolarHope' App: At least 24 hours before the event, open the app on your phone.
  2. Go to Settings: Navigate to the settings menu (often a "gear" or "Me" icon).
  3. Select 'Work Mode': Find the "Work Mode" or "System Settings" option.
  4. Choose 'Back-Up Mode': Select "Back-Up Mode" from the list and save your changes.

Your system will now focus on charging to 100%.

After the Outage: Once the storm has passed and the grid is stable, simply follow the same steps to switch your system back to "Self-Consumption Mode" to resume your daily energy savings.

How to Prepare for a Vacation

If you are going away for an extended period, your system will continue to operate and save you money automatically. There is typically only one setting you may want to check.

Step 1: Stay in Self-Consumption Mode For vacations, it's best to leave your system in the default "Self-Consumption Mode." This allows the system to continue using your solar power to offset your home's phantom loads (like your refrigerator and router) and sell any excess power back to the grid, generating credits while you're away.

Step 2: Check Your Backup SOC Setting The "Backup SOC" setting determines the minimum amount of battery charge reserved for an outage.

  • For Peace of Mind: You may want to set your Backup SOC to a higher level (e.g., 50% or higher) while you're away. This ensures that even if there's a power outage at home, your essential appliances (like your router and refrigerator) will have plenty of stored energy to keep running for a long time.
  • How to Change: This setting is usually found in the same "Work Mode" or "System Settings" area of the 'SolarHope' app.

By making these simple adjustments, you can rest easy knowing your MeterHome system is perfectly configured to protect your home and maximize your savings, whether you're weathering a storm or relaxing on a beach.