Between PSPS shutoffs, heat-wave load shedding and equipment failures, extended outages are now routine LA planning reality. We treat backup power as a line item in every security design — this page shows the architecture so you can check anyone's proposal against it.
Modern panels (Qolsys IQ4) ship with backup batteries (commonly 4–24 hours depending on load) and LTE cellular communicators — the alarm doesn't care that your internet is down. The failure points we actually find in audits: aged batteries never replaced (swap every 3–5 years), panels wired to Wi-Fi-only communication to save a monitoring dollar, and siren/keypad loads shortening run-time. UL-monitored signals with cellular primary is the non-negotiable baseline — it's how our $24.99+ plans are provisioned.
Cameras die with the grid unless powered through backup. The architecture: PoE cameras draw from the PoE switch → put the switch + NVR + modem/router on a UPS. Sizing example: 8 cameras (~6W each) + NVR (~30W) + network (~25W) ≈ 100–110W → a 1500VA/900W UPS runs that roughly 3–5 hours; doubling UPS capacity or adding a second unit extends proportionally.
| Backup target | Typical solution | Budget class |
|---|---|---|
| 1–4 hours (outage rides) | Quality 1500VA UPS on rack | $200–$500 |
| 4–12 hours (PSPS day) | Dual/extended-battery UPS, load-trimmed | $500–$1,500 |
| Multi-day (fire season) | Generator or home battery integration | $3,000–$20,000+ (shared with whole home) |
Internet backup: cellular failover routers keep remote viewing alive when the ISP is dark — standard in our hillside designs.
With Control4/Lutron + battery/generator systems, we program outage behavior: non-essential loads shed automatically (protecting UPS run-time), exterior security lighting and occupied-look scenes stay active, garage doors remain operable (battery-backed openers or release training), and you get a push notification with system-state summary — because the worst outage plan is not knowing you're on battery. Smart locks: main-entry locks keep working on their own batteries; we standardize spare-key/keypad fallbacks anyway.
1) Panel battery under 3 years old and load-tested. 2) Cellular primary alarm path (not Wi-Fi-only). 3) PoE switch + NVR + modem on UPS. 4) Cellular internet failover where remote viewing matters. 5) UPS run-time matched to your realistic outage profile. 6) Exterior lighting on backed-up circuits with dusk logic. 7) Garage/gate operability confirmed on battery. 8) Quarterly 10-minute pull-the-breaker test. We run this checklist as a free add-on during any consultation.
A properly configured one does: panels carry backup batteries (typically 4–24 hours) and communicate via LTE cellular, independent of your internet. The common failures are aged batteries and Wi-Fi-only communication — both cheap to fix. We audit this free.
Only if powered through backup: put the PoE switch, NVR and network gear on a UPS. Around 100W of camera load runs 3–5 hours on a quality 1500VA unit; generator or home-battery integration extends to days.
Local recording continues regardless. Remote viewing needs a cellular failover router — a standard line in our hillside and fire-zone designs — or it's dark until the ISP recovers, even with cameras recording fine.
Outages degrade lighting, cameras and alarms across whole neighborhoods simultaneously — exactly why resilient design matters. The goal: from the street, your home looks and behaves identically, lights and cameras included.
No — quality smart locks run on their own batteries independent of house power, with physical key or keypad fallbacks. We verify fallback access paths as part of commissioning.
Panel battery + cellular path is often already included in monitored systems; camera/network UPS coverage runs $200–$1,500 depending on run-time targets; multi-day resilience ties into generator/home-battery systems ($3,000–$20,000+, shared with the whole home). Itemized quote after a free audit.
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