timmmay: A friend has a solar system but it does not work during a power cut, My understanding is it endangers line workers. That seems like a really key feature to make sure you have especially if you have storage.

There are ways to get it to run during a power cut- but it must never backfeed for the above reason. A properly installed system, when it has storage, and is inspected properly won't back feed to the grid when the power is cut, but there have been cases where people have done a DIY job and caused harm to those working on the network

But yes, without storage it generally will not run as a supply source. Even when you have batteries, if you let the remaining power drop below a certain amount set by the installer and you are experiencing a long power cut, the battery/batteries will not charge even if it's the sunniest day of the year until the grid supply returns