Solar panels work just fine in blackouts. The problem is that everyone goes with pure Grid Tie systems. In such systems when the grid goes down then so does the inverter which makes such systems worthless during a blackout.
The alternative is to have a battery bank and a system that can charge the batteries. The inverter runs off the batteries. And it has to be able to totally isolate from the Grid. That adds another level of cost and maintenance, but it will work during a blackout.
If you have money to waste it is a good investment.
I have a 100 Watt solar panel and a couple of small batteries that store 550 Watt hours of juice. Not going to power any major appliances but keeps the lights on and the tablets, laptops and cell phones charged. It will also power the WiFi, assuming the cable internet is still working.
So does a generator.