Guides
Decisions explained with numbers, not hype.
AC-Coupled vs DC-Coupled Home Battery: A Homeowner's Guide (2026)
AC-coupled vs DC-coupled home batteries explained in plain English: how each works, the real efficiency gap, and which fits new solar versus a retrofit.
Best Power Station to Run a Refrigerator: A Sizing Guide for Outages
How to size a power station for your fridge in a blackout. Running watts vs surge, real daily Wh, and how to turn that into hours of cold food.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in 2026? A Homeowner's Honest Breakdown
Real 2026 solar panel costs: cost per watt, full system price ranges, and the factors that move your quote, plus what the end of the 25D tax credit means for you.
Is a Home Battery Worth It Without Solar in 2026?
A battery without solar earns through TOU arbitrage and backup value, not generation. Here is the honest 2026 math on when it pays and when it does not.
Tesla Powerwall 3 Cost in 2026: A Real Line-Item Breakdown
What a Tesla Powerwall 3 actually costs installed in 2026, broken down by hardware, gateway, labor, and permits, using honest market ranges, not invented numbers.
Well Pump Backup Power: How to Keep Water Running in an Outage
A homeowner guide to backing up a 240V well pump: sizing for the brutal startup surge, why portable batteries stall, and where a soft starter actually helps.
Solar Loan vs Cash Purchase in 2026: The Honest 25-Year Math
Solar loan vs cash purchase in 2026, after the 25D credit ended. The real 25-year cost, how dealer fees and APR eat your savings, and when each one wins.
Solar Payback by State in 2026: Why There Is No Single National Number
Solar payback in 2026 swings from under 7 years to past 15 by state. Here is the method to estimate yours, plus why rates and sun matter most.
CPAP Backup Battery Guide: Sizing Power for Outages (2026)
How to size a backup battery for your CPAP during outages: watt-hours per night, why pure sine wave matters, and DC vs AC. Not medical advice.
How Long Will a Battery Power a House During an Outage?
A homeowner's plain-math guide to battery backup runtime: usable kWh divided by your hourly load, essentials vs whole-home, and how solar resets the clock.
How to Size a Home Battery Backup From Your Real Measured Loads
Size a backup battery the honest way: measure each appliance with a Kill A Watt, add up watt-hours, set days of autonomy and usable depth, then convert to kWh.
Time-of-Use Battery Arbitrage Under NEM 3.0: Does It Actually Pay?
How a home battery earns money on California TOU rates under NEM 3.0: charge off-peak, discharge at peak, and the math on whether the spread covers losses.
How Many Tesla Powerwall 3 Units Do You Need for Whole Home Backup?
Whether you need one, two, or three Powerwall 3 units for whole home backup depends on your loads and runtime, not square footage. Here is how to size it.
Power Station vs Gas Generator: Which Backup Actually Wins?
An honest 2026 comparison of battery power stations and gas generators for home backup, real cost per kWh, noise, CO risk, maintenance, and who each one fits.
Portable Power Station vs Home Battery: Which Backup Is Right for You?
Portable power station or installed home battery? An honest 2026 breakdown of capacity, 240V whole-home backup, install cost, permits, and when each one wins.
Is solar and battery worth it in 2026?
The federal 25D tax credit ended on December 31, 2025. Here is the honest math on solar and battery payback in 2026, how the surviving 48E credit changes the lease decision, and when it still makes sense.
Solar Lease vs PPA in 2026: Which Makes Sense After the 25D Credit Died?
Solar lease vs PPA in 2026, explained by a homeowner. How the 48E credit keeps third-party solar cheaper, the escalator trap, and when buying still wins.
Rated vs Usable Capacity: Why Your Power Station Delivers Less Than the Label
The number on the box is not the energy you get. Here is why usable Wh runs lower, how to estimate real delivered watt-hours, and how to size backup honestly.
Transfer Switch vs Interlock Kit: How to Wire a Generator Safely (2026)
Transfer switch vs interlock kit compared for 2026: how each connects a generator to your panel, the backfeed safety rules, real cost ranges, and which to pick.
NEM 3.0 Explained: What California's Net Billing Tariff Means for Your Solar Payback
NEM 3.0 cut California solar export rates by roughly 75% vs NEM 2.0. Here is what changed, why a battery now matters, and how it hits your payback.