Solar System Basics

Sections in this chapter

1. 1.1 A system has only three core components
   • 1.1.1 What "panel wattage" actually means
   • 1.1.2 Why winter and summer production differ so much
2. 1.2 Essential glossary (so the sales pitch doesn't lose you)
3. 1.3 Grid-tied vs off-grid vs hybrid — which one fits
4. 1.4 Microinverter vs hybrid inverter (which fits your roof)
5. 1.5 Battery fundamentals
   • 1.5.1 The basics
   • 1.5.2 Battery form factors
   • 1.5.3 Battery safety
6. 1.6 Inverter and battery: garage versus outdoor placement
7. 1.7 During an outage, does solar automatically keep the house running?
8. 1.8 Common misconceptions about solar systems
   • 1.8.1 Battery life is longer than you think
   • 1.8.2 Solar panels last a very long time
   • 1.8.3 Solar systems aren't fragile
   • 1.8.4 Don't measure system size in "number of panels"
   • 1.8.5 Adding a battery is usually unnecessary
9. 1.9 Backup power for outages
   • 1.9.1 A battery for outages? Answer two questions first
   • 1.9.2 Whole-home backup: automatic vs manual switchover
   • 1.9.3 Lower-cost backup: critical circuits, a generator, a power station, a UPS