Your Honest Guide to
Going Solar
Real savings. Real experience. Your guide to going solar.
First-hand guides from a Tesla Solar homeowner — panel sizing, battery storage, net metering, ROI calculations, and everything you wish someone had told you before signing the contract.
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Solar ROI Multi EV
Calculate solar roi with multiple evs, heat pump water heater and tiered rates
Read guide →Powerwall vs PWRcell Wildfire Backup
Compare Tesla Powerwall 2 and Generac PWRcell for whole-home backup during wildfire outages with powerwall vs pwrcell
Read guide →Grid Tie Compliance
Ensure grid tie panel capacity compliance to avoid utility issues
Read guide →Enphase IQ8A vs Tesla Overload
Compare Enphase IQ8A and Tesla Solar Inverter for homes with high inverter overload risk, including real-world examples and data
Read guide →Solar Panel Degradation
Compare LG NeON R & Tesla Solar Roof Tiles' degradation rates over 25 years with our solar panel degradation comparison guide.
Read guide →Microinverter vs Optimizer Mixed Roof
Compare string inverters with power optimizers and microinverters for homes with partial south/north roof sections
Read guide →Powerwall Sizing
Choose the right Powerwall size for your all-electric home with our expert guide on powerwall sizing all electric home.
Read guide →Grid Tie Inverter Comparison
Compare Enphase IQ8 vs Tesla Solar for grid-tie systems without battery backup in this grid tie inverter comparison
Read guide →Solar ROI with Powerwall
Calculate your solar roi powerwall inclusion for maximum savings
Read guide →Solar ROI Night Load
Calculate solar roi night load with time-of-use rates and tou penalty
Read guide →Solar Savings Fixed Monthly Charge
Calculate solar savings with fixed monthly charges despite net metering
Read guide →DIY Solar Kit Hidden Costs
Discover diy solar kit hidden costs, including permitting and inverter compatibility issues
Read guide →Cold Climate Solar Battery
Discover the best solar battery for cold weather performance in our review of Powerwall, Enphase, and LG Chem solar battery cold weather review
Read guide →Solar Inverter Comparison
Compare microinverters and power optimizers for residential solar panels with our expert guide on solar inverter comparison
Read guide →DC-Coupled vs AC-Coupled Solar Battery
Discover how dc coupled vs ac coupled solar battery impacts inverter sizing and expansion flexibility
Read guide →Solar Panel Shading
Learn about solar panel shading analysis and mitigate its impact
Read guide →Powerwall 3 vs PWRcell
Compare Tesla Powerwall 3 and Generac PWRcell for homes with frequent outages in high-loss areas
Read guide →Net Metering Enrollment
Follow our net metering enrollment guide for solar customers to save on energy bills
Read guide →3 Phase Solar Value
Discover if a 3 phase solar inverter is worth it for homes with high-demand appliances and three-phase electrical service
Read guide →6kW Solar Powerwall vs 9kW Solar No Battery
Compare costs and savings of a 6kw solar powerwall vs 9kw solar no battery for your home
Read guide →Tesla Solar New Construction
Save with tesla solar new construction vs retrofit installations
Read guide →Net Metering vs Battery
Weigh net metering vs solar battery value for your home's energy needs
Read guide →Grid Tie Solar Worth It?
Discover if grid tie solar is worth it in areas with low summer peak rates and high winter demand
Read guide →Solar API Reports
Use Tesla's solar monitoring api to build custom energy independence reports
Read guide →Solar Monitoring Energy Independence
Track solar energy independence with real-time metrics using solar monitoring dashboards and optimize self-consumption rate
Read guide →Solar Monitoring Troubleshooting
Use solar monitoring data to diagnose underperforming panels or inverter faults
Read guide →Hybrid Solar Inverter Sizing EV
Learn how to size a hybrid solar inverter for home solar panels, Powerwall, and EV charging with our expert guide on hybrid solar inverter sizing ev
Read guide →Solar Alerts Setup
Prevent energy waste with solar monitoring alerts setup and extend inverter lifespan
Read guide →Solar Installation Roof Prep
Prepare your roof for solar panels with our inspection, reinforcement & permitting checklist for a smooth solar installation roof prep process
Read guide →Maximize Solar Panel Winter Orientation
Boost winter solar production with optimal panel tilt and orientation strategies
Read guide →Solar Panel Hot Spot Protection
Prevent solar panel damage from wind and dust with these tips on solar panel hot spot wind dust mitigation
Read guide →Optimizing Solar Panel Layout
Maximize energy production on complex roofs with dormers, chimneys, and skylights using PVWatts and SketchUp for solar panel layout
Read guide →Solar Self-Consumption Optimization
Maximize solar energy usage with solar self-consumption optimization to avoid grid draw during peak hours
Read guide →Solar Battery Medical Backup
Design a solar + battery system for 24/7 medical equipment backup with our expert guide on solar battery medical backup design
Read guide →Detect Micro Inverter Failures
Learn solar monitoring micro inverter failure detection to prevent output drops
Read guide →Tesla Solar Inverter vs Enphase IQ8
Compare Tesla solar inverter and Enphase IQ8 for homes with Powerwall backup needs
Read guide →String Inverter vs Microinverter
Choose the best for your mixed roof with our expert comparison of string inverter vs microinverter systems
Read guide →Solar Battery Net Metering Rate Erosion
Learn how solar battery storage impacts net metering with reduced export rates, using keyword: solar battery net metering rate erosion
Read guide →Powerwall Simultaneous Charge
Learn how Tesla Powerwall handles simultaneous solar charging and backup power during outages with powerwall simultaneous charge and backup
Read guide →Solar ROI Demand Charges
Calculate true solar roi with demand charges and tiered rates
Read guide →Solar Tax Credit Rental Property
Claim solar tax credits on rental properties attached to primary homes with our expert guide
Read guide →Tesla Solar vs Panels
Compare durability and cost of Tesla solar roof tiles to traditional panels
Read guide →Net Metering Credit
Learn how net metering credit carryover works when your solar system overproduces energy annually
Read guide →Calculate Home Solar Size
Use a home solar system size calculator to determine your solar needs based on monthly electric bills
Read guide →How to Tell If Your Solar Inverter Is Wired Correctly for Smart Panel Monitoring
Before buying a Span panel (or after, like me), here's how to check whether your inverter is wired in a way that supports circuit-level monitoring — and what it costs to change it if not.
Read guide →Solar Battery Generator Integration
Learn how to integrate solar battery backup with existing generators for whole-home emergency power with solar battery generator integration
Read guide →Powerwall Size Comparison
Choose the right Tesla Powerwall size for your home with our comparison of 10kWh vs 13.5kWh models.
Read guide →Net Metering Rolling Average
Boost savings with a net metering rolling average strategy, optimizing utility credits and minimizing true-up bills
Read guide →Solar Savings Time of Use
Boost solar savings with time-of-use optimization strategy
Read guide →Monitor Solar with Powerwall
Track solar panel performance using Tesla App and Powerwall Dashboard for optimal energy independence with solar monitoring with powerwall
Read guide →Why Your Span Panel Can't See Your Solar Production (And What to Do About It)
If your solar inverter was wired to the service entrance instead of the breaker panel, your Span panel has no idea solar exists. Here's what happened to me and how to work around it.
Read guide →Span Smart Panel Review: An Honest Take From a Solar Homeowner
I have a Span panel, Tesla Solar, and real opinions about both. Here's what Span does well, what it gets wrong, and whether solar homeowners should spend $3,500-$6,000 on one.
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