when the power\'s out, solar panels may not keep the lights on

In the United States, the cost of solar panels is falling rapidly.
As panels become more affordable, they appear on roofs across the country.
Meanwhile, the United StatesS.
Efforts are being made to find better ways to support its power system from power outages.
While this may seem counter-intuitive, more solar power does not mean less power outages --
At least not yet.
The small town of Del Nott in southwest Colorado is a good example.
Although Del Norte is covered by solar panels, it still has the risk of a power outage if its main power cord is turned off.
The answer to the puzzle, analysts say, is to find a way for solar panel clusters to operate independently of the main grid. A Solar-
The dynamic town, looking at the forest on the edge of the San Luis Valley Mountain in southwest Colorado, you will see the dim orange: a large dead tree killed by spruce beetles.
In the medium term, the situation is different
1990, Larry Floyd started putting out the fire here.
\"We don\'t have that severe drought, we don\'t have that many bugs to kill,\" he explained . \".
But today, with these dry dead leaves, there is more wildfire fuel.
This is the concern of Del Norte.
Located in the middle of the open, flat, desert-like St. Louis valley, far from the forest.
But Kevin Larry more, the town\'s head of public works, said the fire still poses a risk to the power supply here.
Most of the Valley is served by a main route, which enters the valley through the mountains.
\"If this line is going down, then I think most of the valley will lose power,\" Larimore explained . \".
Although there are solar panels in Town Hall, Town shops and police stations.
It turns out that Del Norte\'s solar panels actually depend on the grid.
That\'s the case for the vast majority of solar panels, explains James Newcomb, managing director of the Rocky Mountain Institute, a renewable energy think tank in Boulder, Colorado.
New Jersey has hundreds of megawatts of solar energy, according to Newcom.
But during Hurricane Sandy, which swept the East Coast in 2012, there was a massive blackout.
Sometimes weeks.
Despite all of these solar panels, \"because it\'s already connected to the grid, it won\'t be able to run if the grid doesn\'t start,\" he said . \".
This is frustrating for community planners who have to stare at useless solar panels on the roof during a power outage.
GridNewcomb said the system was designed to protect workers.
Essentially, officials \"have built the grid and run it as a large system,\" he said.
\"If the worker is repairing the wire after a power outage, the wire needs to die;
Solar power cannot start the wire in the wrong way.
But it is possible to solve this problem, says Newcomb.
\"The transition we are talking about now is a transition that can operate some smaller mesh parts independently.
\"What he is talking about is what is called a micro-grid: a small grid that can not only supply water to towns, but even power to emergency shelters or hospitals.
To create a micro-grid, you need the so-called \"smart inverter \".
\"These feelings when the larger mesh disappears and locks the parts that need to be fixed.
It can then power emergency services using local solar panels. Del Nott, Colorado
, There is still a \"dumb\" inverter, so at least the town has to rely on a diesel generator to replenish drinking water.
However, the technology to create a micro-grid is progressing.
Green Mountain Electric, a utility company in Vermont, is working on what it calls the firstof-its-
A micro-grid powered entirely by solar panels.
The report is reported with internal energy companies that work with public media focused on energy issues in the United States.