Solar and batteries
Rooftop solar and home batteries, in plain English
How the pieces fit together, what we check before recommending anything, and what installation actually involves.
Rooftop solar
Solar panels turn daylight into electricity. Your home uses that electricity first, so you buy less from the grid while the sun is up.
How it works
- Sunlight reaches the panels. Each panel is made of cells that turn light into direct current (DC) electricity.
- The inverter converts it. Your home runs on alternating current (AC), so the inverter changes DC into AC. An inverter is the box (or a set of small units, one behind each panel) that converts solar power into the kind your outlets and appliances use.
- Your home uses it first. Solar power flows into your electrical panel and on to whatever is running: the fridge, the lights, the washing machine.
- Extra goes to a battery or the grid. When the panels make more than you're using, the surplus charges a battery if you have one, or flows out to the grid under your utility's rules.
- The grid fills the gaps. At night, or when you need more than the panels are making, your home draws from the grid (or your battery) as usual. You don't have to switch anything.
What the assessment checks
- Which way your roof faces, and how much shade it gets from trees, chimneys or nearby buildings through the day
- Your roof's age, material and condition, and whether its structure can carry panels
- Your electrical panel and meter, and whether they have room for a solar connection
- Your past electricity bills, to understand how much power you use and when
- Where the inverter, wiring and other equipment would go
- The permit and utility connection requirements for your address
What to expect during installation
- Before we startWe apply for the permits and utility approval, confirm the final design with you, and agree an installation date.
- InstallationOur crew fits mounting rails to your roof, secures the panels, installs the inverter and runs the wiring. We'll need to switch your power off for part of the work, and we'll tell you in advance.
- InspectionYour local building department inspects the work. Some utilities also inspect the system or fit a new meter.
- Switch-on and handoverOnce your utility gives permission to operate, we switch the system on, show you how to check what it's producing, and hand over your paperwork.
Home batteries
A home battery stores electricity so you can use it when you need it: in the evening, overnight, or when the power goes out.
How it works
- It charges when there's spare power. With solar, the battery fills up from the panels' surplus during the day. Depending on the setup and your utility's rules, it can also charge from the grid.
- It stores that energy for later. A battery's capacity is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour (kWh) is a unit of energy: the amount a 1,000-watt appliance uses running for one hour. It's the same unit your electricity bill uses.
- It powers your home when you need it. In the evening, or whenever your panels aren't keeping up, the battery supplies your home before you draw from the grid.
- It can keep the lights on in an outage. If it's set up for backup, the battery keeps chosen circuits running during a power cut. Which circuits, and for how long, depends on the battery and on what you run.
What the assessment checks
- What you want the battery for: backup during outages, using more of your own solar, or both
- Which circuits matter most to you in an outage, such as the fridge, lights, internet or a well pump
- Your electrical panel, and whether a separate backup panel (a small panel just for essential circuits) makes sense
- Where the battery can be mounted safely, indoors or out, with the clearances local code requires
- How it would connect to solar you already have, or solar you're planning
What to expect during installation
- Before we startWe apply for the permits, confirm where the battery will go, and agree with you which circuits it will back up.
- InstallationWe mount the battery and its control equipment, wire it into your electrical panel and, if needed, move your essential circuits to a backup panel. Your power will be off for part of the work, and we'll tell you in advance.
- InspectionYour local building department inspects the work, along with your utility where it's required.
- Setup and handoverWe set how the battery charges and discharges to suit your goals, show you how to keep an eye on it, and explain exactly what happens when the power goes out.
Solar plus battery
Solar and batteries work well together, but you don't always need both. In general terms, this is when pairing them makes sense.
Pairing often makes sense when…
- You want backup power that can recharge from your own panels during a longer outage
- Your utility credits you less for power you send to the grid than it charges for power you buy
- Electricity costs more at certain times of day, often the evening, when panels are winding down
- You use most of your power in the evening and overnight
Solar on its own may be enough when…
- Your utility gives you full, or close to full, credit for the power you send out
- Power cuts are rare where you live, or short enough not to worry you
- You'd rather start with a lower upfront cost and decide on a battery later
Not sure which describes you? That's a normal place to be. At the assessment we look at your bills, your utility's rules and your goals, and if a battery isn't worth it for you, we'll say so. If you might add one later, we can plan the wiring now so it's easier when the time comes.
Incentives
Incentives and rebates
Tax credits, rebates and utility programs can lower what you pay for solar, batteries and EV chargers. They change often, and they depend on where you live and which utility serves you, so we don't quote figures here that could be out of date.
At your assessment, we'll talk through what may apply to your home.
[Add current incentives for your state or utility, with a link to the official source]