Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. For homeowners on the Gulf Coast, the part that lasts longest after a storm usually isn't the wind. It's the wait for the power to come back. After Hurricane Ian in 2022, FPL's reported outages in Charlotte County took about 11 days to clear, according to the Florida Public Service Commission's outage reports.
A home battery won't stop a storm from knocking out the grid. What it changes is what happens inside your house while the grid is down.
Before the season starts
The time to get a battery is before June, not when a storm is already in the forecast. Utilities review home solar and battery systems before they're turned on, so if you've been thinking about one, start well ahead of June.
If you already have a battery, check that it's set up for backup and that the circuits you care about are the ones it covers. The fridge, a few lights, Wi-Fi and any medical equipment are where most people start.
When a storm is in the forecast
Most home batteries let you choose how much charge to hold in reserve for an outage. When a storm is coming, set it to keep a full charge so it starts the outage at 100%.
Charge phones and laptops too. Every bit of power you don't need from the battery later is power it can spend on the fridge.
During the outage
A battery set up for backup switches the house over on its own the moment the grid drops. There's nothing to start and no cords to run.
What you run decides how long it lasts. Central AC draws far more than everything else in most Florida homes, so turning it off or setting it higher stretches the battery a long way. We walk through the math in how long a home battery will run your house.
After the storm passes
This is where solar panels earn their keep. Grid-tied panels shut off during an outage, but with a battery in the system the house is cut off from the grid and the panels can turn back on. Every sunny day, they refill the battery. That's what carries a home through a week without power instead of a night. More on that in do solar panels work during a power outage.
If you're using a generator
Run a portable generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors and vents. That's the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's guidance, and it says a garage, porch or carport is too close. A battery has no exhaust, which is one of the reasons homeowners switch. We compare the two in home battery vs. whole house generator.
Getting a system in before next season
We size every battery and solar system from your own electric bill, so it covers what you want running when the power is out. You can book a free in-home assessment anywhere in Pinellas, Manatee or Charlotte county.