Home Battery as Emergency Power: What Works During a Blackout?

Power outage: how vulnerable are you?

In the Netherlands, the average homeowner experiences around 20-30 minutes of power outage per year. Sounds like very little, but with critical equipment — medical devices, fridge, internet router, heating pump — even a brief outage can have serious consequences. As the power grid becomes more strained by electrification and grid congestion, the risk of prolonged outages increases.

A home battery can protect you — but not every system offers the same level of protection. In this article, we explain the difference between EPS (Emergency Power Supply) and full backup systems, so you know exactly what to expect.

EPS vs full emergency power: the crucial difference

Most home batteries offer one or both forms of emergency power functionality:

EPS (Emergency Power Supply)

EPS is a rapid switchover to battery power during a grid outage. The switchover time is typically 20-100 milliseconds — fast enough for most appliances, but too slow for sensitive electronics such as certain medical devices. EPS typically powers one or two circuits (e.g. fridge + lighting).

Full backup (whole-home backup)

High-voltage systems such as the Anker SOLIX X1 or Huawei LUNA 2000 with backup module offer a seamless transition of less than 20ms. They support the entire home including heat pump, EV charger and all circuits. This requires professional installation with a backup switchboard.

Which systems offer emergency power? Comparison

Not every home battery system offers emergency power functionality. Here is an overview of the most popular systems and their emergency power capabilities:

How long can you last on your home battery?

The autonomy time depends on the battery capacity and your consumption during the outage. As a rule of thumb:

• 5 kWh battery + basic consumption (200W): ~25 hours (fridge, lighting, router)
• 10 kWh battery + normal household (500W avg.): ~18-20 hours
• 15 kWh battery + heat pump (2 kW): ~6-8 hours continuous use
• With solar panels added: unlimited as long as the sun shines and you don't consume more than you generate
• Medical equipment: a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) with battery is better suited for critical medical equipment due to the more immediate switchover

Installation requirements for emergency power

Emergency power requires more than just a battery. For a fully functional emergency power installation, you need:

What do you need technically?

For EPS on specific circuits: a backup output on your inverter and separate wiring to an emergency power group in your consumer unit. For whole-home backup: an automatic transfer switch (ATS) that disconnects the home from the grid during an outage, so the battery can safely supply power without feeding back to the grid.

Legislation and regulations

In the Netherlands, you are not permitted to feed back to the grid during a grid outage — this is dangerous for engineers working on the grid. Professional backup systems automatically disconnect the grid connection (islanding protection). Always check that your installer carries this out correctly in accordance with NEN 1010 and the requirements of your grid operator.

Which system suits your emergency power needs?

The choice depends on your priorities and budget. For basic protection (fridge, lighting, router), a system with EPS is sufficient. For full home protection including heat pump and EV charger, choose a high-voltage system with whole-home backup module.

Want to know which system best suits your situation and emergency power needs? Request free advice — our advisers know the technical details of every system in our range.