kWh stands for kilowatt hour, and a kilowatt is 1,000 watts. A kilowatt hour is the standard unit of measure for electricity. It represents the amount of energy required to power a 1 kilowatt appliance for one hour.

The more power an appliance consumes, the faster it will use up 1 kWh. For example, a power-hungry, 500-watt vacuum cleaner will use up a kWh in two hours, whereas the same amount of energy will power a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours.

Your utility will track how many kWh your buy from them, as well as how many kWh you send into the grid.

Solar panels are capable of producing electricity in all types of weather all year round. You will notice that performance will vary from day to day. On a cloudy day a solar system typically performs at 10% to 25% of its capacity.

When we design our systems and estimate their production, we take into account the amount of sunlight that your specific region receives each year. This means that your system will be sized appropriately for the amount of sunny (or cloudy) days you receive each year.

Yes, your solar system will provide your home with power all year, though the amount of power that is produced does shift with the seasons.

Summer is when solar production peaks with the longest days of the year and consistent sunshine. During winter, solar production is at its lowest due to short days and more variable weather.

We design our systems with all four seasons in mind, and this seasonal fluctuation will be factored into your solar production estimate.

Solar panels need sunlight to create electricity–they’re dormant at night. However, you do still have power at night when you have a lithium-ion battery storage system. Solar Battery Storage Offers Energy Independence.

Solar batteries maximize your panels’ daytime energy production and provide electricity for later use or night time usage. You’ll consume electricity from the battery first before drawing from the grid.

That’s how solar is a 24/7 affordable energy option. Solar panels and a lithium-ion battery system will have you covered both day and night.

During a power outage, your solar system automatically kicks in. When you have a blackout at night, your lithium-ion battery is used for backup electricity

Shade on your solar panels decreases their efficiency. When we design your system we account for existing shade on your roof but changes in tree shape or height can increase shade and lead to decreased production over time. When you go solar, it is best to keep your trees trimmed so they do not block the sun from shining on your panels.

The solar panels on your roof should continue to produce electricity well past the 25 year mark but their efficiency will decrease slightly over time at an average rate of 0.5% per year. Solar panels have a 20-25 year lifespan.

 This means that after 25 years, your system should still be operating at around 88% of its original capacity and providing your home with clean, renewable energy. This is dependent on weather factors that may or may not affect the efficiency of the solar panels.

When your panels don’t produce as much energy as you need you will then purchase any additional power from the grid.  This is not a sign that something is wrong, rather it is a very normal part of the seasonal shifts in solar energy production and your own personal energy consumption.

When we’re designing your home solar system, we make sure it fits your household electricity needs, helping control your energy costs over time. We look at 12 months of past electricity usage to make sure your solar panels produce the the right amount of power for your home over the course of a full year.

Keep in mind that there’s the chance you’ll have an unseasonably hot summer that requires you to run the air conditioning more than usual. If that’s the case, you may have to use some extra electricity from your local utility, resulting in a slightly higher energy bill for that month. Your solar panels would still be producing the amount of power they’re supposed to—your higher-than-average energy usage will just need an added boost from the grid to support it.

You will be able to log in to your inverter app to check your system’s production. There you will be able to see how your production varies on a day to day basis and how it adds up over weeks and months.