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What is Backup Reserve and what should I set it to?

Short answer. Backup Reserve is the share of your battery held back for a blackout. While the grid is on, the battery stops discharging at that level; in a blackout that energy is there for your home. We set a backup reserve when we install, and you can change it. Higher means more protection in an outage but less battery for day-to-day use.

There is no single right number: it depends on how often your area loses power, what you want to keep running and how you use your battery. If you want more protection before a storm or in a bushfire or flood season, raise it. If you rarely lose power, a low reserve leaves more battery for daily use.

Safety first. This is an app setting only. Never open a switchboard, remove a cover from your battery or inverter, or touch any wiring. Anything beyond the app, a light you can read from a safe distance, or your own router is a job for a licensed electrician. If you see smoke, smell burning, hear arcing or see water on or near the unit: keep everyone away, switch off at your main switch only if it is safe to do so, and call 000 if there is any fire or smoke.

Sigenergy

  1. Backup Reserve only applies if your system has a Sigen Energy Gateway. Sigenergy’s manual says to skip the setting if no Gateway is configured.
  2. In the mySigen app find Backup Reserve (menu names may differ by app version) and set the level you want.
  3. Sigenergy says you can set it to suit how often outages happen in your area.

GoodWe

GoodWe has several protection levels: an upper SOC limit, a grid-connected lower limit, an off-grid lower limit, a backup SOC maintenance level and an off-grid recovery level. These are installer-level protection settings that affect blackout backup, and we do not know which of them an owner account can see or change. Call us and we will set it with you.

Before you change it

  • Check the battery percentage is comfortably above the reserve before a storm.
  • A high reserve does not guarantee the home stays on for a set time. How long backup lasts depends on how much you are using and how much sun there is.
  • If you are unsure, call us. We will talk through it and set it with you.

Read more: Sigenergy batteries and GoodWe batteries from Sun Connect Solar

When to call us

If we installed your system, call us on 0483 903 020. Our service help for existing customers is free: we start by working through it with you by phone. If you are not yet a customer, a service call is $250 + GST, which covers one hour on site within 20 km of Mullumbimby; travel further out is quoted separately. Contact us or call 0483 903 020 (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat 7am-4pm).

Quick questions

What is the default?

We set a backup reserve at install for both Sigenergy and GoodWe systems and show you how to change it. It is a user setting, so you can change it.

Does a higher reserve mean the battery lasts longer in a blackout?

It means more energy is held back for a blackout. How long it lasts still depends on what the home is using and the sun.

Can I set it to 100%?

Technically you may be able to, but your battery would stop being useful day to day. Call us and we will suggest a sensible level.

Do I need a Gateway?

For Sigenergy, Backup Reserve and blackout backup need a Sigen Energy Gateway. A typical Sun Connect Solar install is designed for full home backup.

Sources

Last checked 6 October 2026. Only the manufacturer’s, the network’s or the government’s own documents are used; app menus change between versions, so if your screen looks different, call us rather than guess.

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