Solarwyse · 3 min read

Begin with your place

Where is the property? Will you live there all year or visit occasionally? Is there a utility connection, or are you starting beyond the power lines? These answers shape the choices before anyone counts panels.

Describe a normal day

List the appliances and equipment you want to use. Include water and sewage pumps, refrigeration, laundry, communications and workshop tools. If you have electricity bills or measured energy use, bring them along. If you don’t, a description is a useful start.

Tell us what may run together and which equipment must keep working. Starting a motor can ask more of an inverter and battery bank than keeping it running.

Show us what you already own

Model numbers and clear photographs of equipment labels help us check compatibility. An existing battery, generator or inverter may be useful, but we need to confirm how it fits rather than assume everything can connect together.

Leave room for the installation

Equipment is only part of a complete system. Mounting, cable routes, protection, battery location, electrical work and inspections belong in the plan. Ask what the quotation includes and what needs to be supplied locally.

Solarwyse can help you and your local electrician understand the equipment and work through the choices. You don’t need to become an expert before you call.

Solarwyse · 3 min read

Think about a vehicle

A bigger motor doesn’t give a vehicle a bigger fuel tank. An inverter and a battery bank have a similar relationship: one supplies power, while the other stores energy.

Power is what is happening now

Power is measured in watts or kilowatts. The inverter must handle the loads you want to run together, including short starting demands. The batteries must also be able to supply that power.

Energy includes time

Energy is measured in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours. A 100-watt load running for 10 hours uses 1,000 watt-hours, or 1 kilowatt-hour, before system losses. The same load running for one hour uses a tenth as much energy.

That is why a small load left on all day can matter as much as a larger appliance used briefly. We consider both the size of each load and how long it operates.

The batteries still need recharging

Adding battery capacity can give you more stored energy, but it doesn’t create energy. The solar array and backup charging still need to replace what the household uses, allowing for losses and seasonal conditions.

A useful design matches inverter output, usable storage and charging. We’ll explain the limits of each part so you know what to expect.

Solarwyse · 3 min read

Panels alone don’t answer the question

A conventional grid-tied solar inverter normally shuts down during a utility outage. Sunshine on the panels doesn’t automatically mean the house will have power.

Backup needs a complete arrangement

A suitably equipped hybrid system can keep selected circuits—or a larger portion of a home—running during an outage. It needs compatible equipment, adequate stored energy and the required isolation from utility lines.

Off-grid homes are designed to operate without a utility connection. Their batteries, inverter, solar array and generator charging must work together through changing conditions.

Decide what needs to stay on

Lights, refrigeration, communications and water pumping may be priorities. The answer depends on your household. Essential medical equipment needs a separate, explicit backup plan appropriate to the equipment and the people relying on it.

We’ll discuss what can run together and how long you want backup to last. A larger inverter doesn’t add battery energy, and cloudy days can limit solar charging.

Have switching specified for the job

Generator transfer equipment, interlocks, protection and grounding must suit the installation and applicable electrical requirements. Your electrician should select and install the correct arrangement. A web article cannot establish what is suitable for a particular panel or property.

Tell Solarwyse what you want to keep running and what equipment you have. We’ll help you understand the options before you buy.