Solar Panel System GuideSystems index
Solar System Types: Panels, Inverters, and Batteries
Compare residential solar system families: monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels, string inverters and microinverters, and battery storage, with how each works and fits your home.
Bifacial Solar Panels: How Two-Sided Modules Work
Bifacial panels capture sunlight on the front and the rear of the module. This page pulls its facts from EnergySage and the U.S. Department of Energy.
System typeGrid-Tied vs Off-Grid Solar: What the DOE Says
Grid-tied systems stay connected to the utility and can use net metering, while off-grid systems rely on battery storage. This page sources its facts from the U.S. Department of Energy.
System typeMonocrystalline Solar Panels: Efficiency and Cost
Monocrystalline panels are cut from a single silicon crystal, which is why they lead residential efficiency ratings and usually cost more than polycrystalline panels.
System typePolycrystalline Solar Panels: Lower Cost, More Area
Polycrystalline panels are made from many silicon fragments rather than one crystal, so they run at lower efficiency and typically need more roof area for the same output.
System typeSolar Battery Storage: Capacity, Power, and Backup
A home battery has two separate ratings: capacity in kilowatt-hours, which is how much energy it stores, and power in kilowatts, which is how much it can deliver at once. Both decide what a battery can back up and for how long.
System typeSolar Inverters: String vs Microinverter
Solar panels make DC power and an inverter converts it to the AC power a home uses. String inverters tie panels together in a group, while microinverters sit on each panel and keep shaded panels from dragging down the rest.
System typeSolar Racking and Mounting: Racks and Trackers
Racking holds a solar array steady for decades, and fixed racks or trackers set how the modules face the sun. This page sources its facts from the U.S. Department of Energy.
System typeThin-Film Solar Panels: CdTe, CIGS, and Amorphous Silicon
Thin-film panels deposit a thin layer of semiconductor onto a substrate instead of using crystalline silicon wafers. This page sources its facts from EnergySage and the U.S. Department of Energy.