--- title: "Gateway Backup Power & Whole-Home Solar | Devon & Somerset" description: "Whole-home backup power and self-sufficient solar+battery systems for Devon & Somerset. Gateway integration, MCS-vetted installers, independently underwritten guarantees." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Solar Broker", "telephone": "0800 870 8003", "email": "hello@thesolarbroker.co.uk", "image": "/logo.png", "logo": "/logo.png", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "Ann's Platt, Topsham", "addressLocality": "Exeter", "postalCode": "EX3 0DB", "addressCountry": "GB" }, "areaServed": [ "Devon", "Somerset", "EX", "TQ", "TA", "PL" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "WebSite", "name": "The Solar Broker", "alternateName": "Solar Broker Devon", "inLanguage": "en-GB", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Solar Broker" } }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Service", "name": "Backup Power & Energy Independence", "serviceType": "Backup Power & Energy Independence", "provider": { "@type": "LocalBusiness", "name": "The Solar Broker", "telephone": "0800 870 8003", "areaServed": [ "Exeter", "Torquay", "Taunton", "Plymouth", "Devon", "Somerset" ], "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "addressLocality": "Exeter", "postalCode": "EX3 0DB", "addressCountry": "GB" } }, "areaServed": "Devon & Somerset", "description": "Whole-home backup power and self-sufficient solar+battery systems for Devon & Somerset. Gateway integration, MCS-vetted installers, independently underwritten guarantees.", "url": "https://thesolarbroker.co.uk/services/gateway-backup-power" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is a gateway and do I need one?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A gateway is a switching device that islands your home from the grid during an outage and re-powers defined circuits from your battery and solar. You need one if you want genuine backup power, a battery on its own does not provide it." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long can my home run on backup power?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "That depends on battery capacity, solar generation on the day, and which circuits you have on the backup list. A well-designed system on a modestly bright winter day can run essential circuits indefinitely; on a dark, still week it will run down until the grid returns." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How fast is the switchover during an outage?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Modern gateways switch in tens of milliseconds, fast enough that most electronics, including PCs and routers, do not notice the transition." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I still get Smart Export Guarantee payments with a gateway?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, your system remains grid-connected in normal operation and continues to export surplus generation for SEG payment. Islanding only occurs during an actual grid outage." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is a gateway install more complicated than a standard solar and battery?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It is more involved, it requires consumer unit modification, backup circuit definition, and DNO G99 approval on larger systems, but a good installer does it as a single integrated job with the solar and battery." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does the installation take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Fitted alongside a new solar and battery system, the gateway typically adds no extra day. Retrofitted onto an existing install it is usually a one to two day job." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Who provides the warranty?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The installer's workmanship warranty is independently underwritten, so it holds even if the installer changes shape. Gateway hardware carries its own manufacturer warranty, typically ten years on major-brand units." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you cover backup installs across Devon and Somerset?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, every EX, TQ, TA, and PL postcode, with particular relevance to rural and end-of-feeder properties where outages last longest." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Services", "item": "/services" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Backup Power & Energy Independence", "item": "https://thesolarbroker.co.uk/services/gateway-backup-power" } ] } ] --- Independent by design · Devon & Somerset · Available 24/7 [hello@thesolarbroker.co.uk](mailto:hello@thesolarbroker.co.uk)[0800 870 8003](tel:+448008708003) [![The Solar Broker](/assets/logo-DoooI4Gt.png)](/) [Home](/) Services [ Solar Panels Find out whether solar is worthwhile for your home, how many panels will fit and what the system could realistically generate. ](/services/solar-panels)[ Battery Storage We calculate whether a battery is likely to improve your savings, resilience or use of cheaper overnight electricity, rather than adding one automatically. ](/services/battery-storage)[ EV Chargers Choose a charger that works with your vehicle, electricity supply, solar system and future plans. ](/services/ev-chargers)[ Backup Power & Energy Independence Explore systems designed to keep selected circuits running during a power cut and reduce your reliance on peak-rate electricity. ](/services/gateway-backup-power)[ Drone Surveys Your roof is inspected and measured before we recommend a system, helping avoid unsuitable layouts, overlooked shading and unrealistic generation estimates. ](/services/drone-surveys)[ Free Solar Suitability Consultation A 10–20 minute conversation about your home, electricity use and what you want solar to achieve. You will not be asked to make a decision during the call. ](/services/consultation)[ Grants & Funding Guidance We explain the funding, VAT, export and finance options that may apply to your circumstances, without suggesting that everyone will qualify. ](/services/grants-funding)[ Compare Suitable Installer Proposals Where suitable, we obtain comparable proposals from a small number of installers selected for your property, location and system requirements. ](/services/quote-comparison)[ Support After Installation We don't disappear after install. You keep our direct number and we step in to resolve any aftercare issue with the installer, whenever it comes up. ](/services/aftercare-support) Areas EX · Exeter Postcode [Exeter](/service-areas/exeter)[Exmouth](/service-areas/exmouth)[Barnstaple](/service-areas/barnstaple)[Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/ex-surrounding-areas) TQ · Torquay Postcode [Torquay](/service-areas/torquay)[Newton Abbot](/service-areas/newton-abbot)[Paignton](/service-areas/paignton)[Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/tq-surrounding-areas) TA · Taunton Postcode [Taunton](/service-areas/taunton)[Bridgwater](/service-areas/bridgwater)[Yeovil](/service-areas/yeovil)[Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/ta-surrounding-areas) PL · Plymouth Postcode [Plymouth](/service-areas/plymouth)[Saltash](/service-areas/saltash)[Tavistock](/service-areas/tavistock)[Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/pl-surrounding-areas) Our Work [Our Work](/our-work)[Case Study](/case-study) About [About](/about)[Reviews](/reviews) [Contact](/contact) [0800 870 8003 ](tel:+448008708003)[Book your free consultation](/book) 1. [Home ](/) 2. [Services](/services) 3. Backup Power & Energy Independence ![Home backup power setup on a brick wall, hybrid inverter and gateway enclosure with two wall-mounted lithium battery units](/__l5e/assets-v1/6ba49a55-c495-442e-8b81-25f7bb1813ad/gateway-hero.jpg) Gateway & Backup Power · Devon & Somerset # Whole-Home Backup Power. Reduced Reliance On Peak-Rate Electricity. Designed For Devon & Somerset Homes. A gateway takes your solar and battery from a bill-cutting tool to a genuine grid hedge, powering the whole house through outages, and still exporting to the grid on the days it can. We design it around your circuits, not around a brochure. [Book your free consultation](/book) [Call 0800 870 8003](tel:+448008708003) MCS-vetted installers · Whole-home backup design · Independently underwritten guarantees · £1M Public Liability MCS-vetted installer panel £1M Public Liability insurance DBS Certified EPVS registered installers Independently underwritten guarantees The service ## Backup Power & Energy Independence, what it is, who it is for, and why professional advice matters. Grid outages in the South West are not frequent, but when they happen, usually in the middle of a winter storm, they last longer than most homeowners expect. A gateway system takes a standard solar and battery install and turns it into something that keeps the house running: heating, lighting, cooking, working from home, and the freezer that would otherwise defrost silently overnight. What it is A gateway is a piece of hardware that sits between your consumer unit and the grid. It detects a grid outage in milliseconds, disconnects your home cleanly, and re-powers your circuits from the battery and solar. When the grid returns, it re-synchronises automatically. Sized correctly, the same gateway also allows genuine self-sufficient operation, running from your own generation and stored power for extended periods. Who it is for Gateway backup suits rural EX, TQ, TA, and PL properties on longer feeder circuits, homes with medical dependencies or elderly residents, home-workers whose income depends on connectivity, holiday lets and small businesses that cannot afford spoilage, and anyone who has already lived through a multi-hour outage and made a quiet promise not to do it again. When it makes sense The right time to design in a gateway is at the same time as the solar and battery, the wiring, consumer unit changes, and DNO notification are all done once. Retrofit is possible and often the right choice after a bad outage, but it costs more than doing it at the same time as the original install. Why a professional Gateway installs are the least DIY-friendly part of a solar system. They involve consumer unit modification, DNO paperwork, backup circuit design, and manufacturer-specific commissioning. Done well they are invisible until you need them. Done badly they leave you with a battery that cannot power a fridge because the switching logic was never configured. What happens if you get it wrong ## The outage that finds every shortcut. You do not know whether a backup system is real until the grid drops. By that point it is too late to negotiate. Risks of getting it wrong - A battery that stays 'full' during an outage because no gateway was fitted to islanding the property from the grid. - Backup circuits that were never defined, so the boiler and broadband are dead while the porch light stays on. - Undersized gateway rated below your worst-case simultaneous load, tripping the moment the kettle and shower run together. - No cold-black-start capability, so after a long outage the system cannot restart itself from the battery alone. Common homeowner mistakes - Assuming any battery gives you backup, most standard installs do not, and the difference is a specific hardware decision. - Guessing at critical circuits instead of walking the house with the installer and marking them on the consumer unit. - Sizing for average load instead of worst-case simultaneous load on a January evening. - Skipping the DNO notification, which is required for any grid-parallel and off-grid capable system. Our process ## How we handle backup power & energy independence, step by step. 1. Step 01 ### Free phone consultation A 10–20 minute call to understand your bill, your home and what you actually want from your backup power system. No sales script, we answer our own phone. 2. Step 02 ### On-site + licensed drone survey we attend personally, flies a licensed drone over the roof, and designs the system in paid bespoke software, not a free web tool. Site visits typically within 2–3 days of your call. 3. Step 03 ### Vetted installer quotes Around three like-for-like quotes from the small panel of MCS installers we vet against seven strict criteria. Every installer pays us the same commission, so there is no hidden reason to favour one. 4. Step 04 ### Installation + verification You contract directly with your chosen installer. They complete the work to MCS standards, and we cross-check the commissioning paperwork, EPVS registration and grant applications on your behalf. 5. Step 05 ### Aftercare | indefinitely You keep our number. Independently underwritten guarantees stand even if the installer changes shape, and any dispute is escalated by us on your behalf. Benefits ## What you actually get. ### Seamless islanding Millisecond switchover from grid to battery | you rarely notice the outage happened. ### Defined backup circuits Circuits pre-planned with you: boiler controls, fridge, freezer, kitchen sockets, home-office ring, and lighting typically. ### Cold-black-start ready Systems specified to restart from the battery alone after a prolonged outage | no need to wait for the grid to return. ### Still exports to the grid Self-sufficient operation does not cost you your Smart Export Guarantee payments | surplus generation still leaves the property when the grid is up. ### One integrated install Solar, battery, and gateway all fitted by the same MCS installer, on one contract, with one warranty and one aftercare number. ### Genuine grid hedge Not a UPS. A properly specified gateway can carry a home through a multi-day outage on sunlight and stored power alone. In detail ## The technical bit, in plain English. Backup and self-sufficient systems are where the solar industry stops being simple. This is the section of the design that rewards a broker who has walked the house with you and understands what actually needs to stay on. ### Grid-parallel with backup vs true off-grid Almost every home we work with runs grid-parallel: normally connected to the grid, exporting surplus for SEG payments, and islanded automatically when the grid drops. True off-grid installs, no grid connection at all, are a very different design and a very different cost. For 95% of Devon and Somerset homes, grid-parallel with a well-specified gateway is the right answer. ### Circuit selection: what really needs to stay on We walk the house with you and mark up the consumer unit. Typical backup circuits include the fridge and freezer, boiler controls (the gas or oil is doing the heating; the electricity is running the pump and controls), the router and Wi-Fi, kitchen sockets, and a defined lighting ring. Non-essential circuits, the tumble drier, the hot tub, the electric shower, usually stay off the backup list to avoid oversizing the gateway. ### Sizing for worst-case load, not average Backup gateways need to handle worst-case simultaneous load, not household average. On a January evening that might be the freezer, oven timer, boiler pump, lighting, home-office equipment, and induction hob all running at once. We size to that number with headroom, not to a monthly average that would misrepresent the peak. ### Cold-black-start behaviour After a prolonged outage that fully drains the battery, some systems cannot restart themselves without the grid coming back. Cold-black-start capable systems can bring themselves back up from the first available solar generation the next morning. This is a manufacturer-specific behaviour and one of the things we check on every backup spec. ### DNO notification and G99 / G98 Any grid-parallel system with the ability to island must be notified to your Distribution Network Operator (Western Power Distribution / National Grid Electricity Distribution across most of Devon and Somerset). Systems above 3.68 kW single-phase require G99 approval before commissioning; smaller systems fall under G98 with post-install notification. Our installers handle the paperwork on every job. Straight answers ## Backup Power & Energy Independence, the questions homeowners actually ask. Can't see your question? Speak directly to us, no call-centre script and no pressure to book. [Call 0800 870 8003](tel:+448008708003)[Book your free consultation](/book) ### What is a gateway and do I need one? A gateway is a switching device that islands your home from the grid during an outage and re-powers defined circuits from your battery and solar. You need one if you want genuine backup power, a battery on its own does not provide it. ### How long can my home run on backup power? ### How fast is the switchover during an outage? ### Can I still get Smart Export Guarantee payments with a gateway? ### Is a gateway install more complicated than a standard solar and battery? ### How long does the installation take? ### Who provides the warranty? ### Do you cover backup installs across Devon and Somerset? Related services ## Often paired with backup power & energy independence. [ ### Battery Storage We calculate whether a battery is likely to improve your savings, resilience or use of cheaper overnight electricity, rather than adding one automatically. Learn more ](/services/battery-storage)[ ### Solar Panels Find out whether solar is worthwhile for your home, how many panels will fit and what the system could realistically generate. Learn more ](/services/solar-panels)[ ### EV Chargers Choose a charger that works with your vehicle, electricity supply, solar system and future plans. Learn more ](/services/ev-chargers) Or return to the [homepage](/), browse [all services](/services), or [call us on 0800 870 8003](tel:+448008708003). Ready when you are ## Design your home around the outage that has not happened yet. Free phone consultation with our team. Honest view on whether a full gateway is right for your home, or whether a simpler backup circuit is enough. MCS-vetted installers · £1M Public Liability · Independently underwritten guarantees [Book your free consultation](/book) [0800 870 8003](tel:+448008708003) ![The Solar Broker](/assets/logo-DoooI4Gt.png) Independent solar advice for homeowners across Devon, Somerset and south-east Cornwall. You pay us nothing; every installer pays the same fixed fee if you choose to proceed. Based in Topsham, Exeter, and covering homes across the stated EX, TQ, TA and PL postcode areas. Not sure whether your postcode is included? Call us and we will confirm before you book. [0800 870 8003](tel:+448008708003) [hello@thesolarbroker.co.uk](mailto:hello@thesolarbroker.co.uk) Ann's Platt, Topsham, Exeter EX3 0DB Services [Solar Panels](/services/solar-panels)[Battery Storage](/services/battery-storage)[EV Chargers](/services/ev-chargers)[Backup Power & Energy Independence](/services/gateway-backup-power)[Drone Surveys](/services/drone-surveys)[Free Solar Suitability Consultation](/services/consultation)[Grants & Funding Guidance](/services/grants-funding)[Compare Suitable Installer Proposals](/services/quote-comparison)[Support After Installation](/services/aftercare-support) Service Areas [EX, Exeter](/service-areas/exeter)[EX, Exmouth](/service-areas/exmouth)[EX, Barnstaple](/service-areas/barnstaple)[EX, Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/ex-surrounding-areas)[TQ, Torquay](/service-areas/torquay)[TQ, Newton Abbot](/service-areas/newton-abbot)[TQ, Paignton](/service-areas/paignton)[TQ, Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/tq-surrounding-areas)[TA, Taunton](/service-areas/taunton)[TA, Bridgwater](/service-areas/bridgwater)[TA, Yeovil](/service-areas/yeovil)[TA, Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/ta-surrounding-areas)[PL, Plymouth](/service-areas/plymouth)[PL, Saltash](/service-areas/saltash)[PL, Tavistock](/service-areas/tavistock)[PL, Surrounding Areas](/service-areas/pl-surrounding-areas) Company [About us](/about)[Accreditations](/accreditations)[How we compare](/comparison)[Our Work](/our-work)[Reviews](/reviews)[Contact](/contact) Legal [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy)[Terms & Conditions](/terms-conditions)[Complaints Procedure](/complaints)[Cookie Policy](/cookie-policy) © 2026 The Solar Broker. All rights reserved. £1 million Public Liability · DBS Certified · Installers registered with EPVS [Call](tel:+448008708003)[Book your free consultation](/book)