The 30-Second Version
Sunlight hits your solar panels. The panels turn that light into electricity. That electricity powers your home. Extra power goes to the grid for credit. At night, you use grid power like normal. That is the whole thing.
Now here is the slightly longer version.
Step 1: Sunlight Hits the Panels
Solar panels are made of many small solar cells, usually made from silicon — the same material in computer chips. When sunlight hits a cell, it knocks tiny particles called electrons loose. Moving electrons are electricity.
Orlando gets 5 or more peak sun hours per day. That means strong, direct sunshine for the equivalent of 5-plus full hours daily. That is why Florida is one of the best states in the country for solar.
Step 2: The Inverter Changes the Power Type
Panels make DC power (direct current) — the same kind of power in a battery. But your home runs on AC power (alternating current) — the kind in your wall outlets.
The inverter is the box that converts DC power from your panels into AC power your home can use. Every solar system has one. There are two main types:
- String inverters: one central box that handles all your panels. Simple and lower cost.
- Microinverters: small inverters on the back of each panel. Better when some panels get shade, because one shaded panel does not drag down the rest.
Step 3: Your Home Uses the Power
Once converted to AC, the power flows into your home's electrical panel — the same breaker box that runs your house today. Your lights, air conditioner, fridge, and everything else use solar power first, automatically. You do not flip any switches. You do not change how you live.
Step 4: Extra Power Goes to the Grid
On a sunny afternoon, your panels often make more power than your home needs. That extra power flows out through your electric meter and into the grid. Your utility tracks it and credits your bill. This is called net metering, and Florida gives you full 1:1 credit. Read our net metering guide for the full story.
What Happens at Night?
Panels make zero power at night. That is normal. At night, your home pulls power from the grid just like it does today. The credits you earned during the day offset what you use at night. Over a full month, it balances out.
Want power during a blackout? That takes a battery. Without a battery, grid-tied solar shuts off during outages for safety — so repair crews are not shocked by live wires. Our battery guide explains the trade-offs honestly.
The Parts of a System
- Panels: turn sunlight into DC power. Sit on your roof for 25+ years.
- Inverter: turns DC into AC your home can use.
- Racking: the rails and mounts that hold panels to your roof and stand up to hurricanes.
- Monitoring: an app that shows how much power you are making, usually in real time.
- Meter: your utility swaps in a meter that can track power flowing both ways.
Do Panels Work on Cloudy Days?
Yes — just less. Panels still make power under clouds, roughly a fraction of a sunny day. Rain actually helps by washing dust off the panels. Orlando's afternoon storms do not ruin solar economics; the yearly sunshine total is what matters, and ours is excellent.
Curious What This Looks Like on Your Roof?
Fill out our contact form and we will show you exactly how a system would work on your home — how many panels, where they go, and what they would make.