On occasion, when there’s a grid outage—or a planned Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)—SunVault may take a minute or two to form the microgrid and enter backup operation. In keeping with utility requirements, SunVault actively monitors grid conditions for changes in voltage and frequency. SunVault may follow the grid to a low voltage and then enter backup mode when the grid drops below a utility-specified threshold. In these circumstances, you may experience a flicker of lights or you may need to reset electronics (such as your router), because of the slight delay in SunVault entering backup operation.

SunVault works to support your home loads, which vary based on the appliances active during the outage. Should SunVault not be able to immediately enter backup operation, it will retry within a few seconds, and again after a few minutes.

If SunVault does not go into backup mode during a utility outage, please check your mySunPower app. If the system detected that loads need to be reduced for backup operation, a popup message will appear as soon as you open the app, indicating that there is a need to both turn off loads to reduce home energy use, and to reset the system.