How Solar Works
An optimal home solar power system custom to your home will be designed and installed for you by a SunRun-certified local installer partner.
A home solar power system is relatively simple and very efficient. Solar panels capture and convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. This is then fed to the inverter, which converts the DC electricity to alternating current (AC) electricity. AC electricity is what powers your lights, air conditioning, and other electric appliances.
With SunRun, you stay connected to your utility to provide you with electricity when your home solar power system isn’t producing, such as at night. When your home solar system generates more electricity than you use, the extra power is sent to your utility and you receive a credit. During sunny summer days, you might see your electricity usage dial spin backwards.
SunRun home solar power systems are made up of solar panels, racking to attach the panels to the roof (or mounting for ground installs), electrical wiring, an inverter, and a solar production monitor.
Solar Panels: Typically installed on your roof, solar panels are made up of photovoltaic (or PV) cells, which convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity.
Inverter: The inverter takes the DC electricity from the solar panels and converts it into alternating current (AC) electricity, the standard form of electricity used by your home appliances.
Solar Energy Monitor: Every SunRun solar plan includes continuous home solar power system monitoring to make sure everything is working as expected and guaranteed.
Utility Meter: An existing meter all homes have if they get electricity from a local utility. With a home solar power system you'll upgrade to a net meter to measure how much electricity you use and how much you produce. If your home solar power system produces more power than you use, the meter actually spins backwards, and keeps track of a credit. As you use more electricity, you will first use up any credits that you have before using and paying for additional electricity.
"Everything Else": All the remaining system pieces, including racking, wiring, and safety shut-offs. Also called the "balance of system” (BOS).
Electrical Panel or Breaker Box: A small box next to your inverter, the electrical panel or breaker box receives AC power from the inverter and stores it to be used by your home appliances.
The Grid: Also known as utiltiy grid, it is the system of distribution lines owned and operated by utility companies that delivers electricity from the power plant to your home. Your home remains connected to the utility grid, so you can still get electricity when you need it (for example at night when your home solar power system isn’t producing).
- What kind of maintenance is needed for a home solar power system?
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Most home solar power systems are fairly simple and have no moving parts. They don't typically have mechanical problems, but there's regular maintenance that is recommended, including replacement of the inverter after about 10 years. With a SunRun solar plan, we cover all maintenance and repair of the home solar power system for the life of your customer agreement.
- How frequently should I clean my solar panels?
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With home solar, the solar power your panels produce will naturally vary depending mostly on the season and number of daylight hours. Weather, particularly very dark stormy days, and how clear your solar panels are, will have a smaller impact. Most dust and debris that gets on your panels won't severely limit solar production, and average wind and rainfall will keep your solar panels producing at near optimum.
In certain situations, dust and debris can decrease your solar production by 5% to 15%. But this would most likely occur in special situations, such as a forest fire near your home. It's best to clean your panels only if you notice a significant drop in electricity production.