Solar System (PV System)

A solar system (also called a solar PV system or solar energy system) is the complete set of hardware that generates electricity from sunlight for your home. It includes solar panels, an inverter, racking/mounting, wiring, a monitoring system, and the electrical connections to your home’s breaker panel and utility meter.

A residential solar system works as an integrated unit: the panels capture sunlight and convert it to DC electricity, the inverter converts DC to AC, and the wiring delivers that AC power to your home’s electrical system. If connected to the grid (as most systems are), excess electricity flows to the utility through a bi-directional meter. Optional components include battery storage for backup power, power optimizers for panel-level optimization, and a monitoring app or portal to track energy production. Residential solar systems in the US typically range from 5 kW to 12 kW in size, cost $15,000–$35,000 before incentives, and are designed to last 25–30 years or more. The entire system is covered by a combination of manufacturer warranties (for panels and inverters) and installer workmanship warranties (for labor and installation quality).