How Solar Works

Although they may look complicated, solar panels have no moving parts and require very little maintenance, other than occasional cleaning.

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Going Solar 101

An inverter takes the DC power directly from the solar panels and converts it to the same AC power that your home uses. Solar + battery storage is a great combination, but batteries are optional. At BTB Solar, we care about helping homeowners plan for future energy consumption. Did you know that the average American household consumes 5% more power year over year? With the rising cost of power and fuel, the time to go solar now has never been greater.

The Sun Shines

Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity that your home can use, reducing your electricity bills. The solar cells, which are also referred to as photovoltaic cells, absorb sunlight during daylight hours.

Energy Is Converted

You now have solar panels working efficiently to transform sunlight into electricity, but the electricity generated is called direct current (or DC) electricity, which is not the type of electricity that powers most homes, which is alternating current (or AC) electricity. Fortunately, DC electricity can easily be changed into AC electricity by a gadget called an inverter. In modern solar systems, these inverters can be configured as one inverter for the entire system or as individual microinverters attached behind the panels.

Sharing Is Caring

In a net billing setup, any extra solar-generated electricity that can’t immediately be used in your home or stored in a battery gets shared with the larger electric grid. Because you offset the need for utility companies to create that amount of electricity, they’ll compensate you for it via bill credits. Not only can you become your own clean energy provider when you go solar, but you can also get compensated to spread solar energy to others!

How Solar Works Graphic
SunPower Residential Installation with family talking about solar in California