All guides

30 guides covering the fundamentals, costs, installation, and upkeep of home solar systems.

Putting solar on an aging roof can create an expensive problem later. Here's how to decide whether roofing work should come first.

May 28, 20266 min read

Your solar app contains far more data than you need. Here's which numbers are useful and which ones can mostly be ignored.

May 21, 20265 min read

A 25-year warranty sounds great until you realize there are several different warranties involved. Here's what each one means.

May 14, 20266 min read

Roof orientation and tilt affect production, but an imperfect roof doesn't automatically mean solar isn't worth installing.

May 7, 20265 min read

A little shade can have a surprisingly large effect. Here's how trees, chimneys, and neighboring buildings affect solar production.

April 30, 20266 min read

The inverter is the brains of a solar system. Here's how the main types differ and when each one makes sense.

April 23, 20267 min read