In-depth guides, comparisons and how-tos for power stations, solar and backup power.
Roof mount vs ground mount solar is a trade-off between using space you already have and getting the ideal angle. Most US homes go on the roof because it’s cheaper and out of the way. A ground mount can make more energy per panel and avoids roof penetrations, but it needs land and trenching. Electrical […]
A ground mount solar DIY build is one of the most practical ways to install your own solar. You stay off the roof, you can set the perfect tilt, and the array is easy to clean. The work is mostly carpentry, concrete and trenching, plus electrical work that must meet NEC Article 690 and pass […]
A solar interconnection agreement is the contract between you and your utility that lets your system connect to the grid. Along with the local building and electrical permits, it’s the paperwork that most often slows a solar project down. Knowing what each step involves helps you spot an installer who isn’t keeping things moving. Electrical […]
AC instead of DC became the standard for homes because transformers made it cheap to change voltage, and high voltage is what makes long-distance power lines practical, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s “War of the Currents” history and the demonstration in the ElectroBOOM video embedded below. That history explains why your outlets are […]
The solar installation process step by step takes most homeowners anywhere from about one to four months, even though the panels often go on the roof in a day or two. Most of the time goes into design, permits, inspection and utility approval. Here’s what happens at each stage, from first quote to the day […]
GFCI vs AFCI comes down to what each device watches for: a GFCI protects people from shock, and an AFCI protects the building from fires started by arcing wires, as defined in National Electrical Code sections 210.8 and 210.12. They aren’t interchangeable, and many US homes now need both on the same circuit. Electrical work […]
Neutral wire vs ground wire is one of the most confusing topics in home wiring, because the two connect at the same place in the main panel, yet National Electrical Code Article 250 gives them very different jobs. The neutral carries current back to the source every time something runs. The ground carries current only […]
Depth of discharge (DoD) is how much of a battery’s capacity you use before recharging, and battery manufacturers’ cycle-life charts show it has a big effect on how many cycles a battery lasts. Drain a 100Ah battery down to 20Ah left and you’ve used 80Ah, an 80% depth of discharge. DoD is the opposite of […]
110 vs 220 volt is the older way Americans describe the two voltages in a home, and the nominal values today are 120V and 240V under the ANSI C84.1 voltage standard that US utilities follow. An outlet labeled 110V and one labeled 120V are the same thing, as are 220V and 240V. Knowing which one […]
Solar loan rates advertised at 1.99% or 3.99% can look better than any mortgage. The catch is usually a dealer fee: a charge the lender takes from the installer, which gets built into your system price. A low rate on an inflated price can cost more than a normal rate on a cash price. How […]
