While millions of people lost power due to Hurricane Irene along the East Coast, many homeowners with solar power systems were spared the inconvenience and often the agony of being without power for days.

"Properly installed solar power systems can handle winds of over 100mph hour, much stronger winds than what we saw hit the northeast with Irene. We expect that most of our customers who had solar panel systems with battery backup were able to maintain power to their entire home, or at least their critical appliances, during and after the storm." said Sascha Deri, CEO of altE, a leading distributor of solar panels and solar power products based in Hudson, MA.

However, not all business and homeowners with solar power systems are protected against the seemingly increasing threat of natural disasters and intense weather conditions. Straight grid tie solar systems (those systems “tied” into the local electric company) shut down when the power goes out if a battery backup system is not in place. Many solar powered systems offer the backup power feature with the use of an optional type of grid-tie inverter, but are more expensive.

"Many customers who have had solar power systems installed over the years have opted for the less expensive systems which provide no backup power in the case of an outage from the electric utility company. Just after Irene passed over the northeast we saw a significant increase in customers asking how they could have these systems upgraded to include battery backup.  This is a trend we see developing after every major storm or natural disaster,” Deri said.

In the more-than-likely scenario of future power outages due to natural disasters or weather conditions, Deri recommends that solar consumers elect to install backup power systems for full protection for their most critical home appliances and devices at a minimum.

For additional information about altE visit: http://www.altestore.com/store/.

About altE
Founded in 1999, altE, Inc. has catered to customers on every continent of the globe. A 2006 Inc. 500 awarded company, altE aims to continue to fulfill its motto, "Making Renewable Do-able," by offering cost competitive, high-quality renewable energy related products and educational services to a broad spectrum of the public. atlE's headquarters is located at 43 Broad St, Suite A408 in Hudson, MA. For more information visit their website at http://www.altestore.com/store/ or contact Toll Free (877) 878-4060.

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