How residential solar actually works.
No jargon, no sales pitch. Just a clear explanation of what happens when you put solar on your roof.
Sunlight hits your panels
Photovoltaic cells convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity throughout the day.
The inverter converts to AC
Your home runs on alternating current (AC). The inverter — either central or one micro-inverter per panel — makes that conversion.
Your home uses solar first
Whenever the sun is out and you're using electricity, that power comes straight from your roof — bypassing the utility.
Extra power flows to the grid
If you produce more than you're using, that surplus flows onto the utility grid, and your utility applies whatever export credit its published tariff provides.
You still buy power from the grid
At night and on cloudy days you purchase electricity from the utility at its retail rates. How much of that cost your export credits offset depends entirely on your utility's current program.
You produce your own power. The grid becomes your backup.
A well-designed residential solar system is sized against your annual electricity usage. When you produce more than you're using, the surplus is exported and credited according to your utility's published tariff. When you're using more than you produce, you buy that energy from the utility at its retail rates. You remain a utility customer, and fixed service charges continue to apply. What your bill actually looks like depends on your utility's current program, your usage pattern, and your system design — which is why we review your real tariff and bill with you instead of assuming.
Utah customers of Rocky Mountain Power are served under Schedule 137, which is a net billing program — it is not one-for-one net metering. Under net billing, purchased energy you take from the grid is billed at retail rates, while exports receive a separate, lower dollar credit rather than a full retail kWh offset. Export credit values and program terms are set by the utility and regulators, and rates can change. Verified 2026-08-22. Official source: https://www.rockymountainpower.net/content/dam/pcorp/documents/en/rockymountainpower/rates-regulation/utah/rates/137_Net_Billing_Service.pdf
See what solar could look like for your home.
The Home Solar Analysis™ is a short fit and usage questionnaire based on your electric bill. Or talk with a solar advisor about your project.