Hmmm... if the power failed in the daytime, could I throw a switch to separate myself from the grid and use the 1400 watts from the PVs to keep important things like computers and refrigerators running?
tanstaafl.
Grid-tie inverters will disconnect themselves from the grid automatically when the power fails. This is to keep electrical workers from being harmed while working on the lines.
That said, you should still be able to do this. It's called
islanding. Remember that your PV panels will only generate peak power for a relatively small window of time (say...from 10am to 3pm or so), before and after which the power output drops drastically. Once the power output drops below a certain level, the inverter will shut down and your power will turn off.
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