How does solar work? The 60-second version

1. Panels make power from daylight

Solar panels make electricity whenever there's daylight: most around the middle of the day, less in the morning, the evening and on cloudy days.

2. The inverter makes it usable

Panels make a kind of electricity (DC) your home can't use directly. The inverter, a box usually on a wall near your switchboard, turns it into the kind your appliances use (AC).

3. Your home uses it first

Whatever's running while the sun is up (the fridge, the washing machine, the air conditioner) runs on your solar first. That's the power you no longer buy.

4. The spare goes somewhere useful

If you make more than you're using, the spare charges your battery, if you have one, or goes to the grid for a feed-in credit on your bill.

5. At night, nothing changes

After dark your home runs on your battery or on grid power, just like before. You don't need to do anything: it all switches automatically.

Revo's tipRun the dishwasher, washing machine and pool pump in the middle of the day. It's the easiest way to get more from your solar without spending a cent.