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We’ll spare you from the nitty-gritty of how semi-conductive materials create electricity through the photovoltaic effect. In short, when a solar panel absorbs sunlight, it generates direct current (DC) electricity. However, the electricity that comes out of the outlets in your home or business is alternating current (AC). To match this, when you go solar, you’ll also need a solar inverter to convert DC electricity from your solar panels into usable AC electricity to power your home or business.

Most people can save tens of thousands of dollars on electricity costs over the lifetime of a solar panel system (25+ years). The exact amount you can save depends on many factors, including how much you spend on electricity bills, how much electricity your solar panel system generates, incentives available in your area, and more. The best way to get accurate savings estimates is to compare custom solar quotes on our Marketplace – your quotes will take all these factors and more into account.

The price of solar has fallen dramatically over the last decade (seriously – it’s dropped more than 70 percent!) In 2020, homeowners typically spend between $10,000 and $20,000 to buy a solar panel system, but it may cost you more or less depending on your state, incentives, the size of your system, the type of equipment you install, and the company you move forward with. Fortunately, you don’t need to outlay thousands upfront to go solar: like with getting a new car, there are accessible financing options for both leasing and ownership that allow you to install with no money down.

Probably more than 10 and fewer than 40. We know that’s quite a range, but with solar, there’s really no one-size-fits-all solution: the number of panels you should install depends on how much sun hits your property, your energy needs, and the amount of space you have available for the installation. Most people install a system large enough to generate as much of their electricity needs as possible (that’s how you’ll save the most money!)

Need? No – most people who go solar remain connected to the grid, meaning you can pull electricity from the grid when your solar panels aren’t producing enough to meet your needs. However, even though you don’t need one, solar batteries have some pretty great benefits: if you live in an area that experiences frequent power outages, a battery will help keep your solar-powered home running when the grid goes down. Also, if your utility company has demand charges or time-of-use rates, installing a solar battery can help you save money.