How Solar Works
Follow your home’s power through the day, the evening and an outage. Add a battery to see what changes.
- Power moving
- Resting
- Off or not added
Daytime: Your Home Uses the Sun First
Panels make power, and the inverter turns it into power your home can use. Extra goes out to the grid.
Daytime: Extra Power Can Fill the Battery
Your home uses the sun first. Extra power can charge the battery instead of going out to the grid.
Evening: The Grid Takes Over
The sun is down, so the panels rest. Your home pulls power from the utility grid.
Evening: The Battery Steps In First
The panels rest, but your battery does not. It can send the day’s solar to your home after dark.
Outage: Solar Alone Pauses
Without a battery, standard solar pauses until the grid is back, so line workers stay safe. Add a battery and your home stays powered.
Outage: Your Home Stays Powered
Your home safely disconnects from the grid and keeps running on the sun and your battery. How much stays on depends on the battery size.
Keep the Lights On in an Outage
Pick what matters most in an outage and see how long a battery can run it.
Estimated Backup Time
Up to about … hours
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What Should Stay On?
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