Residential Solar

Solar panels are designed to generate the same amount of electricity your home or business consumes, offsetting your energy costs and reducing your power purchases to nearly zero. 

A smart smart bi-directional meter tracks the electricity your home draws from the grid and the excess solar energy sent back to the grid.

When your solar panels produce more power than you use, the excess energy is exported to the grid, earning you on-bill kWh credits. Each month, you’re billed only for the power you consume from the grid, while your stored kWh credits roll over for future use—automatically reducing your electricity costs in the following months.

Over the course of a year, the goal is to generate as much power as you consume, minimizing your electricity bill to the lowest possible amount.

This type of system does not operate during power outage.  If you wish to have backup power, consider the Net Metering with Battery Backup.

This setup does not include solar panels. Instead, the batteries are charged using electricity from the grid. Depending on the type of inverter, battery power is typically used only during a power outage.

However, if a programmable inverter is installed, the system can be set to use battery power up to a specified percentage during the day and recharge at night when electricity rates are lower, helping to reduce energy costs.

In this setup, the solar system functions as a seamless backup power source, instantly providing electricity when the grid goes down. Battery is charged by solar and once fully charged, any excess solar power is used to run essential loads through the inverter during an outage, replacing the power that would normally come from the grid. Over time, this helps offset your electricity costs.

The system reduces energy costs and eventually pays for itself. During an outage, solar continues to recharge the battery, allowing the system to run longer. It can also charge during off-peak hours and discharge during peak hours, further reducing costs.

Depending on battery capacity, this system can provide an average home with 3+ days of backup power for critical loads.

Behind-The-Meter system Diagram

Behind-the-meter (BTM) refers to a solar energy system installed on-site, typically at a home or business, that generates electricity for direct use.

This setup allows the property owner to reduce reliance on the utility, lower electricity bills, and store surplus energy in a battery storage. Unlike utility-scale solar, BTM systems operate independently, benefiting the user first before interacting with the grid or pull power from the grid.

This particular system qualifies to get a rebate from Home Renovation Savings program if installed on roof.