Plug-in solar guides

Every honest solar savings estimate starts with your electric bill. Here is how to find your usage, your true price per kWh and the charges plug-in solar can and cannot cut.

Your smart meter’s hourly data shows how much a plug-in kit your home can really use, and whether it works once installed. Here is how to get the data and read it.

Old meters could spin backward; most meters today are digital. See what your meter really does with a plug-in kit, why it matters for your bill and what to ask your utility.

When your kit makes more than your home uses, the surplus flows out to the grid. See how much a small kit really exports and how meters and utilities treat it.

Big warranty numbers mean little until you know what they cover and who honors them. Here is how to read a plug-in kit’s warranties and what to check before buying.

Solar panels last decades and fade slowly, but a plug-in kit’s inverter, cable and mount face more wear. See the real numbers and how to make your kit last.

A sunny garage or shed can host a plug-in kit, but GFCI outlets, busy circuits and unpowered sheds change the plan. Here is what to check before you mount anything.

Plug-in solar can suit a manufactured home, but the roof, older wiring and park rules need attention. Here is where to put a kit, what to check and how to set it up.

Owning a condo doesn’t mean you control the balcony. See who decides, what state laws say about associations and plug-in solar, and how to ask your board for approval.

Plug-in solar was made for apartments, but a lease and shared wiring add steps. Here is the whole process in order, from checking your state’s rule to plugging in.

No outdoor outlet on your balcony? See the safer ways to get a plug-in kit’s cable indoors, how to protect a cable through a door or window, and when to call an electrician.

Bifacial panels collect light on both sides, but on a balcony the back often faces a wall or railing. See what research says about the gain and when it is worth paying more.