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Solar Made Simple

How Solar Works

Plain-language guide to how solar panels, inverters, and batteries work together in your home.

The Big Picture

Solar in Plain English

Solar panels capture sunlight → convert it into electricity → power your home → send extra energy back to the grid for credits.

1

Sunlight Hits the Panels

Solar panels on your roof contain photovoltaic (PV) cells that absorb sunlight. Even on cloudy days your panels make power, just less of it. KC gets 4.7 to 5.2 peak sun hours daily, plenty for solar to make sense.

2

Inverter Converts the Power

Panels produce direct current (DC) electricity. Your inverter converts it to AC power, which is what your appliances run on. Most modern inverters also include built-in monitoring.

3

Power Your Home First

Solar power runs your home first. Lights, appliances, HVAC, everything. Only when solar runs short does your home pull from the grid.

4

Export Excess or Store It

When your panels make more than you use, the extra power goes back to the grid and earns you credits, or charges a battery for later.

The Foundation

Solar Panel Basics

Solar panels (also called PV modules) are the heart of your system. Silicon cells inside them turn sunlight into electricity.

Types of Solar Panels

  • Monocrystalline: Best efficiency (20 to 23%), longest life, best for tight roof space. Our most common residential choice.
  • Polycrystalline: Good efficiency (15 to 18%), cost-effective, performs slightly less in heat. Solid value option.
  • Thin-Film: Flexible, lightweight, ideal for specific commercial applications. Lower efficiency but unique installation options.

Key Specs to Know

  • Wattage: typically 350 to 450W per residential panel
  • Efficiency: percentage of sunlight converted to electricity
  • Temperature coefficient: how performance changes in heat
  • Warranty: 25-year product + performance warranties standard
Solar panels on residential roof
The Brains & Backup

Inverters & Batteries

Inverter Types

String Inverters

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One central inverter for the whole array. Cost-effective for simple roof layouts with minimal shading. Brands: SolarEdge (with optimizers), Fronius, SMA. Best for: straightforward south-facing roofs.

Microinverters

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Individual inverter on each panel. Best for complex roofs with multiple orientations or shading. Brands: Enphase, AP Systems, Hoymiles. Best for: challenging roofs, maximum per-panel optimization.

Power Optimizers

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Panel-level devices that maximize output from each panel before sending power to a central inverter. Good for roofs with some shading.

Hybrid Inverters

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All-in-one inverter that manages solar, battery, and grid connection. Brands: SolArk, Fronius Symo Hybrid. Best for: homes with battery storage or planning to add batteries.

Battery Storage

Battery storage lets you save excess solar energy to use at night, during peak rate hours, or during grid outages. Modern lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are safe, long-lasting, and compact.

Battery Benefits

  • Backup power during grid outages
  • Use stored solar energy after sunset
  • Avoid peak utility rates (time-of-use billing)
  • Greater energy independence from the grid
  • Pairs with EV charging for maximum savings

Battery Chemistry Options

  • LFP (LiFePO₄): Safest, most popular for homes. 6,000+ cycle life.
  • NMC (Lithium NMC): Higher energy density, common in some brands.
View Battery Products
System Types

Grid-Tied Solar and Battery Backup

Most KC homeowners go grid-tied. Adding a battery gives you backup power when the grid goes down.

Grid-Tied Solar

Your panels power your home first. Excess electricity goes back to Evergy through net metering and earns you credits. Most KC homeowners choose this.

  • Lowest upfront cost
  • Net metering credits reduce your bill
  • Most popular system type in KC
  • No power during grid outages

Grid-Tied + Battery

Everything grid-tied does, plus a battery that keeps your power on during outages. Popular after KC ice storms and derecho events.

  • All grid-tied benefits
  • Backup power during outages
  • Run critical loads overnight
  • Growing fast in KC metro
Solar panels on residential home
Always Watching

System Monitoring

Every system we install includes remote monitoring. You can check your system’s performance from your phone, and we receive alerts if anything deviates from expected output.

What Monitoring Tracks

  • Real-time power production (watts)
  • Daily, monthly, and lifetime energy produced (kWh)
  • Energy consumption vs. solar production
  • Individual panel or string performance
  • Battery charge level and cycling (if applicable)
  • Grid export and import data
  • CO₂ offset equivalent

Pro Tip: Monitoring alerts let us catch performance issues, sometimes before you even notice. We’ve resolved problems for customers before their utility bill arrived.

Start to Finish

Our Installation Process

From your first call to a live, monitored system, here’s exactly what to expect when you go solar with BGE.

01

Free Home Evaluation

We assess your roof condition, orientation, shading, and energy usage. We pull your utility data to size your system accurately. No cost, no obligation.

02

Custom System Design

Our engineers create a system spec tailored to your roof and energy goals. We present options at different price points and explain the trade-offs clearly.

03

Permitting & HOA

We handle all permit applications with your local municipality and coordinate with your HOA if required. This typically takes 2 to 4 weeks depending on your jurisdiction.

04

Professional Installation

Our certified install team arrives on schedule. Most residential installations complete in 1 to 2 days. We work cleanly and respect your property throughout.

05

Inspection & Utility Interconnect

Your local inspector approves the installation. We then coordinate with your utility company for interconnection approval, typically 1 to 2 weeks after inspection.

06

System Goes Live

Your system is activated, monitoring is configured, and we walk you through the app. You’re now generating clean energy and saving money from day one.

Start My Solar Journey

Ready to Power Your Home With Solar?

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