New to solar terminology?
Use the Solar Glossary for plain-English definitions of kW, kWh, solar offset, net metering, net billing, inverter clipping, cost per watt, battery capacity and other terms used throughout the site.
Go from outage questions to a realistic battery runtime target
Start by understanding what actually happens to rooftop solar when the grid fails. Then decide which loads matter, estimate runtime from usable battery energy and average critical load, and finally compare whether storage also makes sense for TOU savings or low export compensation.
Solar Battery Backup Runtime Calculator
Estimate reserve-only and full-battery runtime from usable capacity, battery quantity, backup reserve, delivery efficiency and average critical outage load. Compare light, typical, HVAC and heavier backup scenarios.
Calculate outage runtime →
Microinverter vs String Inverter vs Optimizer
See three real inverter products, simplified energy-flow diagrams and the homeowner tradeoffs behind module-level microinverters, optimizer systems and central string or hybrid inverters.
Open visual inverter guide →
HJT vs TOPCon Solar Panels
See real REC, Qcells and Silfab modules, simplified cell-layer diagrams and why HJT and TOPCon can both be monocrystalline technologies.
Open visual panel technology guide →5 kWh vs 13.5 kWh vs 15 kWh Home Batteries
Compare real home batteries with capacity bars, kWh-vs-kW context and simplified runtime examples for light, moderate and heavy backup loads.
Open visual battery capacity guide →
Best Roof Types for Solar Panels
Compare asphalt shingles, standing-seam metal, tile and flat roofs with mounting diagrams, roof-specific risks and planning questions.
Open visual roof guide →
South vs East vs West Facing Solar
See how roof azimuth changes annual production and when solar energy arrives during the day, including the homeowner implications of time-of-use rates.
Open visual orientation guide →
Solar Shading: Trees, Chimneys & Partial Shade
See how trees, chimneys, dormers and nearby structures can change solar production, roof layout and the right way to model a shaded roof.
Open visual shading guide →
Solar Panel Degradation & Warranties
Understand product vs performance warranties and compare published long-term power endpoints for current REC, Qcells and Silfab residential panels.
Open visual degradation guide →Cash vs Solar Loan: Which Costs Less?
Compare a cash solar purchase with financing by separating the cash price, financed price, dealer fees, APR, loan term, liquidity and total payments.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Solar Loan Dealer Fees Explained
Understand why a solar loan principal can be much higher than the cash price, how dealer fees affect cost and why APR alone is not enough to compare financing offers.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Solar Lease vs PPA: What Is the Difference?
Compare solar leases and power purchase agreements by payment structure, ownership, escalation, maintenance, transfer rules and end-of-term options.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Solar Loan Re-Amortization and Payment Step-Ups Explained
Learn why some solar loans expect a large early principal payment, how re-amortization can change the monthly payment and what to verify before signing.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Selling a Home With Solar: Loan, Lease and PPA Checklist
Prepare a solar-equipped home for sale by identifying system ownership, loan payoff, lease or PPA transfer requirements, warranties, monitoring records and production history.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Do Solar Panels Work During a Power Outage?
Learn why most grid-tied solar systems shut down during an outage, when a battery can keep selected loads running and what backup questions to ask before installation.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Is a Solar Battery Worth It? A Homeowner Decision Guide
Evaluate a home battery for outage backup, time-of-use savings, low export compensation and solar self-consumption instead of judging it by one national payback number.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Should You Replace Your Roof Before Installing Solar?
Use roof age, condition, remaining life and removal-and-reinstall risk to decide whether roofing work should happen before a new solar installation.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Solar Panel Maintenance: What Homeowners Actually Need
A practical residential solar maintenance checklist covering monitoring, inspections, cleaning, vegetation, inverters and post-storm checks without unnecessary service claims.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Solar Warranties Explained: Panels, Inverters, Batteries and Workmanship
Understand the separate warranties behind a home solar project and the questions that reveal whether parts, labor, roof penetrations and service are actually covered.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28Read guide →Is Solar Worth It in 2026? A Homeowner Decision Framework
Evaluate solar in 2026 using electricity prices, roof production, local incentives, export rules, system cost and payback instead of outdated national rules of thumb.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →How to Read a Solar Quote Before You Sign
A homeowner checklist for comparing solar quotes by system size, cash-equivalent price, equipment, production, financing, warranties and utility assumptions.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →Cash vs Solar Loan vs Lease vs PPA
Compare the ownership, pricing and contract tradeoffs of paying cash, financing a solar purchase, leasing equipment or signing a solar power purchase agreement.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →How to Size a Home Solar System
Size residential solar from annual electricity consumption, local solar yield, roof constraints, future EV or heat-pump loads and desired energy offset.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →How Many Solar Panels Do I Need?
Estimate residential solar panel count from annual electricity use, local solar yield, desired offset and panel wattage instead of guessing from home size.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →Solar kW vs kWh: What Homeowners Need to Know
Understand the difference between solar system power in kW and energy production in kWh, and why confusing the two can make quotes and savings estimates hard to compare.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →Solar Panel Efficiency Explained
Learn what solar panel efficiency means, when higher efficiency matters and why efficiency alone does not determine total home-solar production or value.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →Solar Roof Orientation and Tilt Explained
Understand how roof direction, azimuth and tilt affect residential solar production and when east-, west- or south-facing arrays can make sense.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →Home Battery kW vs kWh: Capacity and Power Explained
Understand the difference between home-battery storage capacity in kWh and output power in kW before comparing backup systems.
Last reviewed 2026-08-27Read guide →