Solar
A sunny roof is only the beginning
The questions that turn rooftop solar from a promising idea into a useful home energy plan.
THE BRIGHTLEAF COLLECTION · 10 ARTICLES
Explore all topics ↗Solar
Sunlight, rooftops and the details that make solar work.
Solar
Why solar panels can work on a cloudy day
Cloud cover changes the amount and character of sunlight; it does not always switch generation off.
Solar
The small shadow that changes a solar layout
Why a chimney, tree or neighboring roof belongs in the design conversation.
Solar
Solar electricity and solar hot water are different jobs
Two ways to collect sunlight, with different equipment and different questions to ask.
Solar
East-west solar: a different shape of day
Why the timing of generation can matter alongside its annual total.
Solar
The solar inverter is doing more than converting power
A plain-English look at the small box between the panels and the household.
Solar
Solar maintenance without climbing onto the roof
Most useful owner checks begin with records, monitoring and a safe view from the ground.
Solar
Why ordinary rooftop solar stops during an outage
Panels in sunshine do not automatically mean power in the kitchen.
Solar
A renter's route into community solar
How a shared project can separate participation from owning a suitable roof.
Solar
Reading a solar production estimate without getting lost
The assumptions behind an annual kilowatt-hour figure are worth a closer look.