You need solar panels, inverters, racking equipment, and performance monitoring equipment to go solar. You also might want an energy storage system (aka solar battery), especially if you live in an area that doesn't have net metering. Depending on where you live, you may also consider a solar battery. Grid-tied systems are the most common and the cheapest because they use the least amount of equipment: solar panels, wiring, racking, grid-tied inverters, and a net meter. The “8 ways” framework from Soleos explains how these parts form a complete solar setup. When completed, you will be able to charge a battery to. There are two main types of solar energy systems: Photovoltaic (PV) systems and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems. PV systems convert sunlight directly into electricity, while CSP systems use mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight and generate thermal energy, which is then converted into. Solar panels absorb sunlight and convert it into electricity, while the charge controller regulates the electricity flow to the battery. The battery bank stores the electricity generated, and the power inverter converts the electricity from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for use in.