Solar 101
Use this guide to prepare for a solar consultation. It covers the basic vocabulary homeowners hear when comparing panel layouts, storage, inverters, EV charging, and financing.
Solar panels convert sunlight into DC electricity. Important differences include rated power in watts, module efficiency, product warranty, linear power warranty, temperature coefficient, and how panels perform on partially shaded roof planes.
Inverters convert DC energy to AC power for the home. Residential systems may use microinverters, string inverters, optimizers, or hybrid inverters. Monitoring, rapid shutdown, and battery compatibility should be discussed before final design.
Batteries are measured by nominal and usable kWh. Runtime depends on loads, reserve settings, battery chemistry, inverter output, and whether the home uses a critical-load panel or a larger backup architecture.
An EV charger can add significant annual electricity usage. Planning ahead helps align panel capacity, service panel limitations, charging schedule, and future battery strategy.
A strong solar consultation starts with context rather than a single price. Sunrun asks about utility bills, roof age, shade, future appliances, electric vehicle plans, and outage concerns because those details determine whether the best fit is a simple panel system, solar plus storage, or a phased plan. Homeowners should also ask how production estimates were calculated and whether assumptions include degradation, local weather, and current utility export rules.
Financing deserves the same level of clarity. A cash purchase, loan, lease, or service agreement can create different responsibilities for maintenance, incentives, ownership, and monthly payments. Incentive eligibility should be reviewed with qualified tax guidance and current program rules. Sunrun's friendly advisor approach is designed to make these details easier to compare before a homeowner signs a contract.
Ask Sunrun for a clear explanation of production, backup runtime, financing, warranties, and installation milestones.
Start With Basics