Solar 101
What's the difference between solar panels, inverters, and batteries?
A residential solar system has three brains. The panel makes power, the inverter converts it into something your home can use, and the battery (optional) stores it for later. Each one is a separate piece of hardware with its own warranty and its own failure modes — so it's worth understanding what each does.
Panels — the production layer
Solar panels are tier-1 monocrystalline silicon modules rated by their wattage (typically 400-450W per panel for residential in 2026). They produce direct current (DC) electricity in proportion to the sunlight hitting them. They have no moving parts and degrade roughly 0.4% per year — a 25-year-old panel still produces about 90% of its day-one output.
Manufacturers we install — Mission Solar, Q CELLS, REC, LONGi, and Silfab — all carry 25-year manufacturer warranties on parts and a separate production warranty.
Inverters — the translation layer
Your home runs on alternating current (AC), but panels make direct current (DC). The inverter does the translation. There are two architectures:
| String inverter | Microinverters | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Wall-mounted, garage or exterior | One under each panel |
| Per-panel monitoring | No | Yes |
| Shading tolerance | Lower (one shaded panel drags others) | Higher (panels operate independently) |
| Warranty | 10–12 years typical | 25 years (Enphase) |
| Failure mode | Whole array offline if it fails | One panel offline at a time |
Batteries — the storage layer
Batteries are optional but increasingly common. They store excess daytime production for use at night, during peak-rate hours, or during a grid outage. The two we install on most homes:
- Tesla Powerwall 3 — 13.5 kWh, all-in-one solar inverter + battery, 10-year warranty, stack up to 4 units for whole-home backup.
- Enphase IQ Battery 5P — 5 kWh per modular unit, 15-year warranty, pairs natively with Enphase microinverters.
Common questions
Frequently asked
- Do I need a battery to go solar?
- No. A grid-tied system without a battery still saves you money — you just don't have backup during outages. Whether a battery makes financial sense depends on your utility's rate structure and how often the grid goes down in your area.
- Can I add a battery later?
- Yes. Every Kaizen install is battery-ready by default — the inverter and electrical setup are pre-configured. Adding a battery later is straightforward.
- Microinverters or string inverter — which is better?
- Microinverters cost slightly more upfront but win on shading tolerance, per-panel monitoring, and warranty length. String inverters are still appropriate for unshaded south-facing roofs where simplicity matters.