A Beginner's Guide to Solar

Solar is the most abundant source of energy on Earth and is clean, local energy, not sourced from distant, polluting coal or gas plants. Switching to solar power reduces your carbon footprint, helping protect the planet, plus it saves you a lot of money on your energy bills. 

Pair solar with battery storage to keep your home running even in an outage. If you combine solar with an electric vehicle, you can power your drive with energy from your own roof.

So what’s it all about and how does it work?

What is solar power?

Solar power is the energy we generate from sunlight.

Through a process known as the photovoltaic effect (PV), we can convert energy from the sun’s rays into electricity that can power our TVs, refrigerators, lights and other appliances.

How do solar panels work?

Essentially, when sunlight strikes a solar cell, electrons start moving, generating electrical current. 

However an inverter is needed to transform this electricity into a form we can use in our homes, to run our heat, power our light and our refrigerators. 

What happens if I don’t use all the electricity being produced?

Any excess electricity that you produce from your solar panels flows back to the grid. Mountain Parks Electric holds a virtual electricity bank account for its solar customers and any excess electricity goes into your bank account as a credit. At night or in the winter when you need more electricity, you get to take credit from your bank account before paying for electricity.

This is referred to as “net metering”.

Solar batteries can also store some of your excess electricity. By adding this energy storage, your system can stash a small amount of backup power,  to keep the lights on during an outage.

Is my home suitable for solar panels?

Solar panels are built to work in every climate, yes including ours with many feet of snow (see our article on Do Solar panels work with snow?) link

However some locations and homes are better contenders for solar than others:

• Homes with south facing roofs work best, as they receive the most sunlight, but east and west facing roofs usually produce enough power too. 

• Tall trees around your house can shade your panels and lower production, so take that into account.

• Your roof needs to be structurally sound and have enough space to house the solar panels. On average about 15-20 square ft of space is needed for a residential panel. The amount of space needed does depend on the size of the system and efficiency of the panels you choose.

• Note solar panels can be mounted on poles dug into the ground if your roof isn’t large enough to house them.

Can solar panels power my whole home or business?

With the right system size, solar panels can meet the entire energy demand of homes or businesses.

How long do solar panels last?

The industry standard for the lifespan of solar panels is 25 to 30 years. Most solar panel manufacturers provide production warranties that last for at least 25 years.

Do solar systems require maintenance?

Solar panels require very little maintenance. Solar panels are very durable because there are no moving parts, so there’s very little maintenance on the mechanical and electrical systems.

Most of it is centered around clearing debris off the panels, which would block sunlight from hitting the solar cells and hinder production.

What is the cost?

Solar panel costs do depend on the system size you need to cover your electricity needs & the equipment you choose.

In 2025 the average cost for a 2000 sq ft house was between $15-23k in the US.

That is before the 30% federal solar tax credit.

How much money will I save?

Solar can significantly reduce or even totally eliminate monthly electricity bills. The average yearly electric savings in Colorado is estimated at around $1,459.

What is the payback period?

The average payback period for a solar panel system in Colorado is around 8 years.

How to start?

Check out our “find a contractor” page to see if your home is suitable to switch to solar.

Source for cost, savings & payback periods Energy Information Administration (EIA), & Marketwatch