An available source
A compatible inverter and usable stored energy, with an appropriate backup output and power limits.
FENNOR / BACKUP & CHANGEOVER
When the grid stops.
Know what stays on.
Want the lights, fridge or internet to stay on during a power cut? Fennor helps you define the essentials and understand the equipment and electrical design needed to support them.
START WITH WHAT MATTERS
When the grid stops.
What should stay on?
Keeping the essentials running starts with your priorities. Fennor helps you choose what matters, then a Registered Electrical Contractor assesses the complete system and explains what it can safely support.
CHOOSE SOME ILLUSTRATIVE LOADS
EXAMPLE COMBINED RUNNING DEMAND
Choose the essentials you would like to keep on. Fennor uses your priorities to brief the Registered Electrical Contractor, who assesses power limits, start-up loads and available energy before a backup option is proposed.
Example ratings, not measured appliance data or a compatibility check. This does not estimate runtime, confirm circuit safety or size an inverter. Starting currents, phase, state of charge and the installed system also matter.
Lighting & communications: An illustrative selection of LED lights and a router. The electrical assessment establishes actual circuit and equipment ratings.
A SAFE CHANGE OF SUPPLY
Three connected decisions.
One designed system.
A safe separation
A properly designed changeover or isolation arrangement prevents unsafe connection between the backup supply and the grid.
An agreed set of loads
The supported circuits, start-up demands and operating instructions are documented and tested by the appropriate electrical professional.
Conceptual sequence, not a wiring instruction. Do not operate, bypass or modify electrical protection based on a website illustration.
MANUAL IS NOT AUTOMATIC
Know the changeover.
Know the limitations.
A manual changeover is operated by a person according to the installed system’s instructions. An automatic arrangement is a different specification. Neither description, on its own, confirms what an inverter can power.
Fennor takes your essential-load priorities into the electrical assessment. We explain the proposed system’s power limits and what happens when the battery is low, the grid returns or nobody is home. At handover, the installation team demonstrates its safe controls and operating procedure.
See where battery storage fits ↗Manufacturer image · example component, not a universal backup solution.
YOUR PROJECT WITH FENNOR
Know the essentials.
Design what stays on.
We explain the choices, the work involved and what happens next, so you can decide with a clearer picture.
We work out what matters most.
A fridge and lights need a different plan from an electric shower or cooker. We help list the loads and desired duration, then explain the difference between stored energy, simultaneous power and starting currents.
We establish the safe design route.
A battery and changeover switch are not a complete backup system. A Registered Electrical Contractor must design the inverter supply, isolation, protection and earthing so it cannot energise the public network during an outage. We explain that specialist work as part of the project; it is not DIY.
You know how backup will behave.
We explain manual or automatic operation, supported circuits and the limits of the chosen equipment. Automatic transfer does not necessarily mean uninterrupted power. Battery reserve, output and outage duration matter, and backup must never be assumed suitable for life-critical equipment.
A SIMPLE START
A power-cut plan.
Not just a switch.
- 01The appliances or circuits that matter most during an outage↗
- 02Any existing inverter and battery model details↗
- 03Whether you expect manual or automatic changeover↗
MORE WAYS WE CAN HELP
Keep exploring.
SUPPORT FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE IN MIND
A clearer budget.
The support to explore.
These are the relevant funding options to discuss with Fennor alongside your project. We explain the full price, the support that may apply and the steps before you commit.
Reviewed · Guidance, not an eligibility decision.
Funding explained
EDDI & backup-switch additions
No separate listed grant
The current individual-grant list does not list a dedicated EDDI diverter or changeover-switch grant. We price these additions separately.
What this means for your project+
- Solar PV, eligible batteries and EV chargers have their own schemes; those grant amounts should not be described as funding for every accessory.
- A solar-thermal grant is for a different hot-water technology, not an EDDI. Backup operation needs compatible equipment and a safe electrical design.
Grant support
Home battery storage
€600
Flat-rate support for an eligible battery of at least 5 kWh. A larger battery does not increase this grant.
Conditions & official guidance+
- Home built and occupied before 2025, with an MPRN and no previous battery funding at that MPRN. A battery can be installed with or without solar.
- Approval is needed before installation by an SEAI-registered solar-PV contractor. A post-works BER is required where solar PV is present; the works and documents must meet the eight-month offer period.
USEFUL ANSWERS
Backup power.
The important limits.
Plain language. No pressure to have it all figured out.
01Would my normal solar keep working in a power cut?
+
Ordinary grid-connected solar shuts down for safety. Backup needs compatible equipment and properly designed isolation. We review what you have and explain the assessment needed to establish the options.
02Would the pictured switch suit my system?
+
Not necessarily. It is a Hager example, not a universal solution. We use the complete electrical design to establish suitable equipment; a switch cannot make an incompatible inverter operate off-grid.
03Could backup serve my whole home?
+
Only where the design supports it. Many systems supply selected circuits. We make the supported and excluded loads clear, along with the power and energy limits, before you choose an arrangement.
LET’S TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Talk to Fennor.
Tell us what you have in mind.
Based in Slane, serving Meath, Louth and Dublin. Tell us about a project further afield and we will confirm whether we can help.
089 403 2737 ↗info@fennor.ieWe will confirm the next step, availability and any assessment cost with you before a visit is booked.