Solar power is on the rise. Today, just 7% of U.S. homes are solar-powered. That number is expected to more than double to 15% by 2030, per the Solar Energy Industries Association. But it’s not all sunshine and resilience.
Why it matters: Homeowners are betting on solar to cut utility costs, help the environment, and raise home values. But solar may fall short during extreme weather — especially in winter.
Summer = Strong, Winter = Weak
A January study in the Journal of Smart Cities and Society analyzed 129,000 homes in 8 states:
Solar performed well during extreme summer heat.
Winter? Not so much. Cloud cover, snow, and less sunshine meant solar often failed during outages.
“The value of solar during a summer blackout can be significant, but it may fall short during a winter one,” said Philip Odonkor, lead researcher and professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology.
Electric-only homes are at risk in winter due to:
High heating demand
Low solar production
Grid dependence
“But in the summer, it’s a different story,” Odonkor said. “Homes with rooftop solar tend to perform better, generating power when it’s most needed.”
The Hybrid Solution
There’s no perfect power setup, and no matter what you choose, there are trade-offs, particularly when it comes to ensuring resilience during power outages. In 2022, the average U.S. home had 5.5 hours of power disruptions, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Key questions to ask, per Odonkor:
Should your next home be fully electric?
Should you ditch natural gas?
Is solar a smart fit for your climate?
How stable is your local grid?
What backup options do you have?
“The most resilient homes aren’t all-electric or all-gas — they may be a smart combination of systems,” Odonkor said.
A hybrid model — solar plus battery storage and a backup generator — may offer the best bet for extreme weather, said Tom Cosgrove of EarthDay.org
“You get power on sunny days, energy storage for cloudy ones, and a generator for blackouts.”
Clement Feng, VP at Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, agrees: “Natural gas or propane generators plus solar battery systems can keep homes running during outages.”
Bottom Line:
“It’s not about choosing one energy source over another; it’s about having options,” Odonkor said. “Flexibility and backup capacity are what make a home truly resilient.”
