Many homes have moved entirely to heat pumps for heating, and some for hot water too. When the power fails during a southerly, there is no fallback: no fire to light, no gas heater in the cupboard. In a well-insulated house the warmth holds for a while, but in an older home the temperature drops within hours. Households with young children, older people or anyone unwell feel that first.
A heat pump draws a modest, steady load once it is up to speed, with a higher draw at start-up. The battery and 15 kW hybrid inverter in UPS mode handle that start-up and keep the unit running without the restart cycle that follows a dip. Two or three heat pumps alongside the kitchen and lights sit comfortably within 15 kW continuous for most homes. The fuel cell refills the battery from stored hydrogen for as long as the outage lasts.
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Heat pumps are efficient, which makes them a good match for backup power: each unit of electricity delivers several units of heat. Even so, stored power from the system costs more than grid power, because round-trip efficiency is 30% or less. The heat pumps should run on the grid as normal, with the system stepping in when the lines are down. Charging happens on cheap off-peak power or from wind or micro-hydro.
Most homes can run two or three heat pumps alongside the kitchen and lights within 15 kW continuous output. A large house with many units, or heat pumps alongside an oven, dryer and EV charger, would be checked in pilot sizing.
It is designed not to see a dip. The battery and inverter run in UPS mode, so there is no gap and no restart. That avoids the wait some units have before they will start again after a power cut.
No. Round-trip efficiency is 30% or less, so stored power costs more than grid power, even though heat pumps use it efficiently. Heat on the grid day to day and let the system cover the outages.
Pilot installs go to people on this list first. Rural homes, farms and remote sites especially. No spam, no payment.