Mike Donnelly
Rockland, ME
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Panels on your roof produce power during the day. If you are off the grid, this power is run to an inverter and/or battery charger to provide power during the day and charge your batteries for use at night. A grid-connected system pumps excess power into the grid, which you draw on when needed.
The simplest system just takes the ac into your existing panel and you use what you need from the system. Any extra power is fed into the grid and you are credited by your utility.
Most panels are installed on roofs so your orientation is important. Your ridge should run roughly East-West, with a long southern exposure. Some applications, however, work better installed at ground level or on poles.
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