Will Your Solar Panels Keep the Lights On During a Blackout? What to Know

Will Your Solar Panels Keep the Lights On During a Blackout? What to Know

It's happened to most of us: You're enjoying a quiet evening at home when suddenly, the lights go out. You flip the switch on the breaker and no luck. Looking down the street, you can see all the lights are out down the block, too. It's a blackout, and everyone in your neighborhood is without power until the grid is restored.

If you have solar panels that power your home, you might think they would exempt you from this problem. After all, you're not fully reliant on the grid to get your electricity; it all comes from the sunlight hitting your solar panels. But during a blackout, depending on the solar system that you have installed, you might be left in the dark no matter what.

Read more: Best Solar Companies for 2022

Will solar panels work in a blackout?

Most solar panels won't work in a blackout. This isn't because they are no longer capable of converting sunlight into electricity, but because of how most solar systems work.

The majority of solar systems are grid-tied systems, meaning they're still attached to the standard utility grid. This is so solar panel users can still receive electricity from their utility company if the solar panels fail to generate enough to meet demand and so they can sell excess solar energy to the utility company.

Most solar systems are connected to the grid via a solar inverter. This is a meter that measures and tracks the amount of energy generated and used by your home. Most solar inverters tie you to the grid, so if the grid shuts down during a blackout, your solar panels also stop generating and providing electricity to your home.

This is in part for the safety of repair workers, who need to know that busted electric lines are not carrying electricity from solar panels.

How to make your solar panels keep the lights on during a blackout

There are solar systems that aren't beholden to the status of the electricity grid and which continue to operate even during a blackout.

A skyline silhouetted in front of a dark sky. — Solar panels and battery backups can help in a blackout, though only with specific equipment.
Lucas Knappe/EyeEm/Getty Image

The first option is an off-grid system, which does not require a solar inverter to connect you to the electric grid. Off-grid systems are often more expensive, in part because they can't participate in some of the unique payment schemes that on-grid solar systems offer, like net-metering: selling solar energy back to the utility company in order to cover the cost of any additional electricity used.

Off-grid systems also have one significant downside: There's no backup plan if your solar panels fail or struggle to generate enough energy. On-grid systems simply take energy from the utility grid when needed. That means if your solar panels aren't able to generate enough energy to meet the demand you're creating, you just get your electricity the traditional way. Off-grid systems don't have that option. So if they can't generate enough electricity to meet your needs, you're going to be in the dark.

Read more: Do Solar Panels Save Money? Yes. Here's How

The second option to keep your power on during a blackout is solar battery systems, which allow you to store some of the electricity generated by your solar panels during the day and deploy it at a time when you need it most. Solar panels generate lots of energy during the middle of the day when the sun is high, but less during peak hours in the evening. A solar battery lets you stash that power and use it later, either to meet your needs during peak or even to take over completely when the power goes out.

A battery system does this by disconnecting your home from the grid at the moment of a blackout. This is called "islanding." A few standalone inverters can do this without batteries, too.

Solar battery systems can be pricey, which is why many people opt not to use it. Much like the fully off-grid system, solar batteries are cost prohibitive and don't benefit from the same pricing schemes that help mitigate the up-front cost that on-grid systems provide. But it's a failsafe that will keep your power on when you need it.

Solar panels are a great option for energy independence, freeing you from reliance on the fossil fuels that are typically used to generate the electricity that comes from the grid. But don't assume that your home's solar panels will keep your lights on. even during a blackout. You'll need to invest in the right system to make that happen, and it can carry a significant financial burden to fully remove yourself from the grid.

Advertiser Disclosure : CNET's corporate partner, SaveOnEnergy, can help you find the right energy fit for your home. The SaveOnEnergy marketplace helps you search, compare, sign up and save on the right energy fit for your home — all for free. If you're interested in solar, answer a few questions to get an exact price quote from our solar advisors.

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Samsung Q60A series (2021) review: QLED TV brings out HDR brightness, color

Samsung Q60A series (2021) review: QLED TV brings out HDR brightness, color

The Samsung Q60A is its entry-level QLED model, aka an LCD TV with quantum dots. Those magical dots let the Q60A perform better than many traditional LCDs that cost less, with far greater brightness and deeper, richer colors with HDR content. Its skinny design also separates it from its bulkier brethren.

While the extra color and brightness is great, you definitely pay for it compared to entry-level models from other brands. The Q60A is roughly twice as expensive as the similar size TCL 4-Series and Vizio V-Series I compared it to, but overall image quality isn't twice as good. While brighter than those TVs, it still doesn't have the brightness nor dynamic range to really take advantage of HDR content. Its speakers are worse as well, so if you care about decent audio it requires investing in a soundbar.

Meanwhile the Q60A costs about the same as the TCL 6-series, CNET's favorite TV for the money. I didn't compare the Q60A directly to the 6-Series for this review, but based on my observations of the Q60A and CNET's review of the 6-Series, the TCL has a better picture.

The Q60A is a good choice if you want a Samsung and appreciate its design and feature upgrades (like a solar-powered remote) over cheaper models. It definitely offers better performance than a typical "budget" TV, but it's a worse value than non-Samsung brands.

Samsung's Q60A series comes in a massive array of sizes, from 43 inches all the way up to 85 inches. I reviewed the 55-inch model.

Solar remote alert!

We need to talk about the new Samsung remote. It's excellent overall and has one great feature: It's solar powered. On the back is a tiny array of solar panels. Those, combined with some efficient electronics, mean that it's always going to have enough power. No more changing batteries, which in a small way is good for the environment, too.

Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

My theater room has next to no natural light, and rarely has the lights on, and after several weeks the remote still has plenty of charge. I'm not sure all remotes will go this solar route in the future, but it'd be cool if they did. Alternately, you can charge the remote via USB-C on the bottom.

Turn it over and you'll find a sparse selection of tastefully designed keys and a mic for voice search. This lets you speak a show or movie name and then shows you where you can stream or buy it. This screen even has a Metacritic score to further impress (or shame) you about your selection. Oddly, it highlights Apple TV Plus as the main service to do this from, but an additional click brings up the other options. It's not quite as user-friendly as Vizio's version, or Roku's if you have one of their products with a voice remote. It does get the job done though.

Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

You can also use Samsung's SmartThings app to control the TV, along with other smart devices in your home.

Features and connections

Aside from quantum dots and that remote, Q60A is fairly typical for an entry-level(ish) TV. It lacks stuff like a 120Hz refresh rate, next-gen gaming perks and local dimming found on step-up Samsungs like the QN90A.

It does share that TV's smart features, however. As far as apps go, you get all the standard options like Netflix, Vudu, HBO Max and so on. The Q60A's interface isn't nearly as in-your-face about streaming as, say, the Vizio and to a lesser extent, the Roku-enabled TCL. The apps are grouped in a small row at the bottom of the screen, more like smart TVs of yore. There's also Samsung TV Plus, which is essentially like free basic cable, though you can't fast-forward through the ads.

Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

Connections are fairly standard. There are three HDMI inputs, one of which has eARC, and there are two USB ports, one of which should provide enough power for a streaming stick, if you decide to eschew the TV's own apps. Wired LAN gets you connected if your Wi-Fi isn't up to snuff. There are no analog inputs, so if you've got a Wii or, I don't know, a LaserDisc player or something, you'll need an inexpensive HDMI converter.

HDMI inputs: 3 (1 eARC)
Analog inputs: None
USB port: 2 (1.0A and 0.5A power)
Internet: Wi-Fi, LAN
Antenna input
Optical digital audio output
Analog audio output: No
Speakers: 2 downward-facing, 20W total

An Energy Star rating of $14 per year for the 55-inch is on the more efficient end of similar TVs, and the other sizes in the line are similarly efficient.

Picture quality comparisons

The Samsung Q60A is far more expensive than either of the TVs I compared it to, namely the Vizio V-Series and the TCL 4-Series. However, as Samsung's most entry-level QLED model, it provides a good indication of what image quality improvements you get from quantum dots. I connected all three via a Monoprice 1x4 distribution amplifier, and viewed all of them side-by-side-by-side.

Right out of the gate my eye was drawn to the Samsung. It is bright. Well, at least compared to the other two TVs, which are already pretty bright. When going all-out with HDR content, it's about twice as bright as the Vizio. If you have a really bright room, or like to watch TV in the middle of the day in a room with many windows, the Samsung will be easier to see than cheaper TVs.

Aside from brightness, color with HDR sources was the other really noticeable difference between the three TVs. The quantum dots let the Q60A produce far deeper, richer colors than the Vizio and TCL, which use traditional color filters on their LCD elements. So you get far more vibrant purples, bluer blues, more crimson-y reds than the others could hope to produce.

Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

The contrast ratio, and therefore the dynamic range, isn't much different, however. So overall the image doesn't take advantage of HDR content like some other TVs would, in particular those equipped with local dimming. That said, thanks to brightness and color it takes more advantage of HDR than the other two TVs, so that's a step in the right direction.

Subjectively speaking, I'd say the added colors and brightness make the Samsung look roughly 50% better with HDR than the TCL and Vizio, which isn't bad but definitely less than the 100% more it typically costs. Again, that if you're watching HDR content. Any non-HDR content, which is most TV shows and older movies, the difference is even closer.

No TV sounds good. All have tiny speakers. However, the Samsung is especially bad in this regard. Even at maximum volume it's not particularly loud and has lots of distortion when you're cranking it up. In my theater the volume was regularly above 90 (out of 100) and even maxed, it was hard to hear with the air conditioner on. This is not an issue the Vizio nor the TCL had. This is the price paid for such a thin design. So despite its cost, if you're considering this TV you should budget in a soundbar to go with it. In fairness, that's always true -- just, er, more true here.

Geoffrey Morrison/CNET

High end of the low end

The Q60A is an interesting TV. It's Samsung's low-end QLED, but it's far more expensive than other entry-level TVs. It's like if Porsche tried to make a car to compete with budget sedans like the Hyundai Accent or Nissan Versa... but it cost $50,000. So yes, the Q60A does perform better than other low-end TVs, but it also costs significantly more. And it simply is not, for example, twice as good as the TCL 4-Series.

That said, it is better. It's also far more attractive, with its svelte design. So if you're able to spend a bit more on a TV and want brighter, better HDR performance in addition to sleeker design, the Q60A is a great option. Just make sure you budget for a soundbar, too.

If you've invest in a PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S console, any TV with an HDMI port will work. However, not all TVs are created equal, and if your TV isn't up to snuff, it may be unable to take advantage of these new consoles' best features. The best 4K TVs these days are equipped with HDMI 2.1 ports, which have the power to let you play at 4K with HDR and reach frame rates as high as 120 frames per second. On top of all that, the gameplay stays butter-smooth, with the consoles and TV playing nice via variable refresh rate, which reduces choppy movement and screen tearing.

Also, you don't have to spend an arm and a leg on an 88-inch 8K behemoth to get these gaming console-friendly features. In fact, as far as screen size goes, you can find most of the features necessary for an excellent gaming experience in 65-inch TVs that are priced below $1,000.

Best TVs for PS5 and Xbox

At the end of the article you'll find two charts with all of the TVs we know on sale now that support advanced gaming features. We've included compatible TVs from the past two years, and you may still be able to find 2020 models on sale. Before those charts, however, here's a list of our current favorite gaming TV options.

David Katzmaier/CNET

If OLED isn't your thing, Samsung's QN90A offers the best non-OLED picture quality we've ever seen. Image quality is incredibly bright, with minimal blooming from the local dimming backlight. This gaming TV option also has the lowest input lag we've ever measured on a TV.

1080p input lag: 10ms

4K HDR input lag: 10ms

Sizes: 50-, 55-, 65-, 75-, 85-inch.

Read our Samsung QN90A review.

David Katzmaier/CNET

The Hisense U8G offers tremendous brightness for gamers who want to play during the day and don't have light control in their chosen gaming space. While there are a couple of TVs that are brighter, all are a lot more expensive. Contrast and color is good too, though HDR is a step behind the competition and this 4K resolution TV's games mode isn't as sophisticated as Samsung or LG.

1080p input lag: 15ms

4K HDR input lag: 15ms

Sizes: 55-, 65-inch.

Read our Hisense U8G series review.

David Katzmaier/CNET

With a price generally lower than any of the TVs above, this Vizio's image quality and gaming features aren't quite as good, but it's still a solid step above budget gaming TVs. Local dimming achieves solid contrast and while it lacks 4K/120Hz input capability, this smart TV does offer variable refresh rate -- a rarity at this price.

1080p input lag: 16.07ms

4K HDR input lag: 13.73ms

Sizes: 50-, 55-, 58-, 65-, 70-, 75-inch.

Read our Vizio M-7 Series Quantum (2021) review.

Gaming TV FAQs

Below you'll find answers to some of the most common questions about the best gaming TVs, followed by the charts that show which features are available on which TVs.

What TVs support HDMI 2.1 features?

All the advanced gaming features we've mentioned-- 120Hz input and VRR, as well as the more common Auto Low Latency Mode, aka Auto Game Mode, and eARC -- are roughly grouped under the HDMI 2.1 standard, but not all of the TVs in the charts below include every feature, nor deliver the full video and audio bandwidth that's possible with HDMI 2.1.

Even more confusing, input capability can vary on the same TV. Behind the physical connection where you plug an HDMI cable is a subsection of the TV's processing, namely a chip. These chips cost money, like everything else. In order to keep costs down, not every input on the TV is fully capable of all the latest features and frame rates. To put it another way, every road on Earth could be capable of highway speeds, but building them all that way would be expensive and rather pointless.

For example, one HDMI input might be capable of eARC, but not be able to handle 4K at 120Hz. Just something to keep in mind as you peruse the charts below. Also, there are some important brand and model specifics that didn't fit in the chart; please check the bullet points below for details.

Finally, the consoles themselves are in a transition period, too. The hardware of the PS5 console can technically support VRR, but unlike the Xbox Series X and Series S, it's not enabled yet. Sony's PlayStation 5 FAQ says VRR will be added via a future software update.

What is 120Hz input?

Despite TVs being capable of 120Hz refresh for well over a decade, the ability to input 120Hz is a far more recent development. This is largely due to the fact that other than a fairly beefy gaming PC, there just haven't been any 120Hz sources. That all changes with the PS5 and Series X. Some of the TVs on our list can accept 4K at 120Hz on all HDMI inputs. Others can only do so on select inputs and one, the TCL 6-Series, can only accept 120Hz at lower-than-4K resolution (1440p).

The Xbox Series S can also output 4K at 120Hz, but internally the game is rendered at a lower resolution (1440p) and upscaled before it's sent to your TV.

For more info, check out the truth about 4K TV refresh rates -- and beware fake 120Hz refresh rates on 4K TVs.

What is VRR?

VRR, or variable refresh rate, is a new TV feature that you'd probably be surprised wasn't already a thing. All modern TVs have a fixed refresh rate. A 60Hz TV is going to refresh, or create, a new image 60 times a second. The problem is a new console might not be ready to send a new image.

Let's say you're in the middle of a huge boss battle, with lots of enemies and explosions. The console struggles to render everything in the allotted time. The TV still needs something so the console might send a duplicate of the previous image, creating juddering on screen, or it might send a partially new image, resulting in the image looking like someone tore a page off the top and revealed the new page below.

VRR gives the TV some flexibility to wait for the new frame from the console. This will result in better gaming performance with smoother action and less tearing.

What is ALLM or Game mode?

Game mode turns off most of the image-enhancing features of the TV, reducing input lag. We'll discuss input lag below, but the specific feature to look for is called either Auto Low Latency Mode or Auto Game Mode. Different manufacturers call it one or the other, but the basic idea is the same. Sensing a signal from the console, the TV switches on game mode automatically. This means you don't need to find your TV's remote to enable game mode. Not a huge deal, but convenient. All the TVs listed above have, or will have, one or the other.

What about input lag?

Input lag describes how long in milliseconds it takes for the TV to create an image. If this is too high, there's a delay between when you press a button on the controller and when that action appears on screen. In many games, like shooters or platformers, timing is crucial and a TV with high input lag could hurt your performance.

As a longtime console gamer myself, I can easily notice the difference between high (greater than 100ms) and low input lag (sub-30ms). The good news is, most modern TVs have input lag that's low enough that most people won't notice it. Largely gone are the days of 100-plus-millisecond input lags… at least when you enable game mode.

So as long as the TV has a game mode, you're probably fine, though it's worth checking CNET's reviews for the exact numbers to see if it has low input lag. Lower, in this case, is always better.

What is eARC?

While not a console feature, eARC is a next-gen TV feature to keep in mind. It's the evolution of ARC, or Audio Return Channel. This sends audio from a TV's internal apps (such as Netflix or Vudu), back down the HDMI cable to a receiver or soundbar. With eARC, newer formats like Dolby Atmos can be transmitted as well.

The issue is in many cases, eARC often precludes higher resolutions or frame rates on the same input. So if you've connected your PS5 to your receiver and the receiver to the TV, you can have eARC audio back from the TV or 4K120, but usually not both. This is only important if you plan on using the internal apps in a TV (as in, not a Roku or Amazon streaming stick) and you want to use the new audio formats via eARC.

Best TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X, Series S in 2022

2021 TVs for PS5 and Xbox

Brand	Model	65-inch price	4K 120Hz Input	VRR	ALLM/AUTO	eARC
LG	G1	$2,500	HDMI 1-4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	Nano 90	$1,300	HDMI 3, 4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	QNED 90	$2,000	HDMI 3, 4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	C1	$2,100	HDMI 1-4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	A1	$1,800	No	No	No	HDMI 3
	Nano 75	$900	No	No	Yes	HDMI 2
	70 series	$700 (70 in)	No	No	Yes	HDMI 2

Samsung	QN900A	$4,000	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	QN800A	$3,000	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	QN90A	$2,100	Yes (55 in and up)	Yes (not 43 in)	Yes	Yes
	QN85A	$1,900	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Frame	$1,700	Yes	Yes (55 in and up)	Yes	Yes
	Q80A	$1,400	Yes (55 in and up)	Yes (not 50 in)	Yes	Yes
	Q60A	$1,000	No	No	Yes	Yes

Sony	A90J	$3,800	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X80J	$1,000	No	No	No	Yes
	A80J	$2,200	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X95J	$2,000	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X90J	$1,350	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes
	X85J	$1,100	Yes	Yes*	Yes	Yes

TCL	8	$2,000	No	No	No	No
	6 8K	$2,200	HDMI 1,2	Yes	Yes	HDMI 4
	6 4K	$950	Yes (x2)	Yes	Yes	Yes

Vizio	OLED	1900	HDMI 2, 3	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	P series	1300	HDMI 3, 4	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	M series	900	No	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1

Hisense	U9	$3500 (75")	No	No	No	No
	U8	$1,250	HDMI 3, 4	VRR	No	HDMI 3
	U7	$1,000	No	Freesync	No	Yes

*Available via a firmware update at a later date (just like Sony's 2020 models).

2020 TVs

You might still be able to find some of 2020's TVs on sale. Many had 120 Hz inputs, eARC and more, though not quite to the extent of the newer models. Here's a look at the TVs from 2020 and what they could do.

2020 TVs for PS5 and Xbox

Brand	Model	65-inch price	Max input Hz	VRR	ALLM/AUTO	eARC
LG	UN85	$765	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Nano85	$1,000	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Nano90	$1,200	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Nano91	$1,000	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	CX	$2,200	120Hz (All)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	GX	$2,500	120Hz (All)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 2
	BX	$2,000	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3

Samsung	Q70T	$1,200	120Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Q80T	$1,700	120Hz (HDMI 4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3
	Q90T	$2,000	120Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes
	Q800T (8K)	$2,700	120Hz	Yes	Yes	Yes

Sony	X900H	$1,400	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 3

TCL	6-Series	$950	4K60/1440p120	Yes	Yes	HDMI 4

Vizio	OLED	$1,500	120Hz (HDMI 2,3)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	P	$950	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	PX	$1,500	120Hz (HDMI 3,4)	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1
	M-Series	$600	60Hz	Yes	Yes	HDMI 1

Notes and specifics

Prices are current as of press time but may fluctuate.
There are some TVs that fit the criteria but weren't included because they're so expensive, namely 8K TVs like LG's ZX series and Samsung's Q950TS and Q900TS series.
The PS5 and Series X can also output 8K resolution to compatible TVs, but we consider 4K/120Hz, VRR and other enhancements like ray tracing and even HDR more important than 8K for gaming.
Samsung doesn't specify which inputs can handle 4K120 or eARC. It is unlikely that all do, but when we asked, the company didn't clarify. We did review the Q80T, however, and can confirm that Input 3 is compatible with eARC and Input 4 with 4K120.
Sony says the software update(s) that enables VRR and ALLM on the X900H is coming "at a later date." It's been saying that for over a year now.
The Vizio 2020 M-Series is only 60Hz but has VRR.
The TCL 2020 6-Series can only accept 4K at 60Hz, but can accept 1440p at 120Hz.

As well as covering TV and other display tech, Geoff does photo tours of cool museums and locations around the world, including nuclear submarines, massive aircraft carriers, medieval castles, airplane graveyards and more.

You can follow his exploits on Instagram and YouTube, and on his travel blog, BaldNomad. He also wrote a bestselling sci-fi novel about city-size submarines, along with a sequel.

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