What is reverse power and why is it a problem at industrial sites?

Reverse power (reverse power flow) occurs when the solar system generates more than the site is consuming at that moment, and the surplus would flow back toward the grid. For an industrial connection sized for self-consumption (BTM — behind-the-meter), feeding into the grid is not permitted, so the distribution system operator requires reverse-power protection: the system must detect the reverse flow and intervene. In practice, this means that the control system curtails the inverters’ output — energy that could be generated but cannot be used is simply lost. On weekends, during production breaks or summer shutdowns, this can be a significant share of annual generation. The reverse-power limit is therefore not merely a compliance issue but also a sizing issue: a larger PV array means more lost energy, unless there is a consumer or storage system alongside it that absorbs the surplus. Battery storage turns exactly this limit into value — it stores the curtailed surplus and releases it when the site is actually consuming.