1. Call now! 480-994-1440 A Guide for Residential, Grid-Connected PV Systems © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

2. Call now! 480-994-1440  Sunlight Photon hit the solar panels  Panels convert these Photons into electrons  More energy is produced in more sunlight How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

3. Call now! 480-994-1440  Transfer Electrons to inverter  Convert “DC” power to “AC” power  Use AC power in the home for running electronic equipment and appliances How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

4. Call now! 480-994-1440 How Solar Works with Grid-Connected Systems  Net metering is used to track power  Excess energy not used by your household will be routed to your utility through the meter and credited to your account  You can tap into this credit when energy isn’t being produced – like when it’s cloudy or at night How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

5. Call now! 480-994-1440 Net metering  Virtual back-up system  With a grid-connected system, you get the best of both worlds:  Low-cost solar energy produced by your system with any excess being “sold” back to the utility;  Access to power from your utility whenever you need it. How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

6. Call now! 480-994-1440 Grid-connected installations  Meter runs backwards when you’re producing energy!  You only get charged for electricity from your utility when you exhaust your net metering credits. How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

7. Call now! 480-994-1440 Off-grid systems are not typical How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

8. Call now! 480-994-1440 How Solar Works Without Batteries  A grid-connected system does not require battery use or have battery-related expenses  An off-grid system requires batteries to store energy and provide it when the sun isn’t shining  If you’re located close to a utility, the best option is to invest in a grid-connected system How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

9. Call now! 480-994-1440 How Solar Works with Utility Billing  When your solar system is producing energy and you’re using that energy to power your home, you won’t be billed from the utility  You get credited for all the unused energy your system sends back to the utility! How Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!

10. Call now! 480-994-1440 About the Author Joy Seitz is VP of Business & Policy Development at American Solar, one of Arizona's leading solar companies who designs and installs solar electric systems and solar hot water systems. Visit us at http://www.americanpv.com for more information about How Solar Works.http://www.americanpv.comHow Solar Works © 2012 American Solar Electric. All rights reserved. http://www.americanpv.com/Call (480) 994-1440 today!