Home Solar Atlas
Solar equipment comparison hub

Build and compare the hardware stack behind a home solar system

Start with panels, choose the power-conversion architecture, then size storage around the loads you actually want to back up.

Build all three layers together

The Solar System Builder combines the panel, inverter and battery databases into one interactive configuration. Set target solar size and backup energy, then compare the resulting hardware stack.

Open Solar System BuilderCompare panelsCompare invertersCompare batteries
Solar panelsGenerate DC power
InverterConvert and manage power
BatteryStore energy for later
HomeUse solar, grid or backup power
Product visuals are hosted locally by Home Solar Atlas. Equipment cards use optimized files served from this site rather than hotlinking manufacturer or third-party image hosts. Specification links can still point to official source documents for verification.
Interactive tool 01
REC Alpha Pure-RX full-black residential solar panel
Image: REC Group

Solar Panel Comparison

Compare wattage, efficiency, cell architecture, warranties and estimated module count.

Open panel comparison →
Interactive tool 02
Enphase IQ8HC black module-level solar microinverter illustration
Image: Home Solar Atlas local product visual

Inverter Comparison

Compare architecture, battery readiness, backup, monitoring and homeowner-fit scenarios.

Open inverter comparison →
Interactive tool 03
Tesla Powerwall 3 home battery
Image: Tesla

Home Battery Comparison

Compare capacity, power, runtime and estimated full-battery quantities.

Open battery comparison →

What should drive each equipment decision?

Panels: roof-limited projectsFocus on wattage, efficiency, dimensions and warranty.
Inverters: architecture and serviceabilityCompare roof complexity, visibility, backup goals and storage integration.
Batteries: kWh and kW togetherCapacity controls duration while power controls simultaneous loads.

Homeowner learning path

1 · Check the roof

Will the array fit?

Roof area, orientation, shade and panel dimensions can change the practical system size before equipment brand matters.

Analyze roof capacity →
2 · Understand panels

Efficiency vs technology

Compare HJT and TOPCon, degradation, warranty terms and why higher module efficiency matters most when usable roof area is limited.

HJT vs TOPCon guide →
3 · Choose architecture

Microinverter, string or optimizer?

Understand where conversion happens, what module-level electronics change and how architecture affects monitoring and service.

Compare inverter architectures →
4 · Size backup

Separate battery kWh from kW

Use capacity for outage duration and continuous power for simultaneous loads, then test an average critical-load runtime scenario.

Estimate backup runtime →
5 · Build the stack

Solar System Builder

Combine panel, inverter and battery choices with PVWatts production, roof fit, storage screening and TOU assumptions.

Build your configuration →
6 · Validate the quote

Check what the installer proposed

Compare equipment, system size, production, financing and normalized solar-only price before treating a headline total as comparable.

Analyze a solar quote →
Roof performance

Shade and orientation

Learn how roof direction and shading affect production before selecting a higher-cost module.

Solar shading guide →
Panel longevity

Degradation and warranty

Understand annual degradation and what performance warranties do and do not guarantee.

Panel degradation guide →
Storage planning

How many batteries?

Translate backed-up household energy into battery unit counts, then verify continuous power separately.

Battery sizing guide →

Use the equipment hub before comparing quotes

Different module counts, inverter architectures, battery quantities and backup scopes can make headline prices misleading. First understand the hardware stack, then compare normalized quote economics and production assumptions.

Analyze a solar quoteCompare solar quotesCheck real solar prices