How solar works

How solar works, in plain words.

How solar panels make electricity, and how grid-tie, hybrid and off-grid systems compare, so you can pick the right one for your home or business.

Grid-tieHybridOff-gridCompare

The basics

How do solar panels work?

Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity for your home, business or resort, so you buy less power from Meralco or your electric cooperative. It takes four steps:
  1. 01

    Sunlight

    Sunlight hits the solar panels on your roof.

  2. 02

    Solar panels

    The panels turn sunlight into DC (direct current) electricity.

  3. 03

    Inverter

    The inverter converts DC into AC, the power your home uses.

  4. 04

    Your home

    AC power runs your appliances, lights and devices.

Types of solar systems

Grid-tie, hybrid or off-grid.

What happens at night or during a brownout depends on the system you choose. Watch a day with each system on our homepage.

Grid-tie (on-grid)

Solar panels plus the grid. No battery.

How it works

Solar powers your home first. Extra energy goes to the grid for net metering credits.

At night or on cloudy days, you draw power from the grid as usual. Your monthly bill goes down by the amount of solar energy you produce.

Typical cost: Starts around ₱350K for common residential packages

Hybrid (with battery)

Solar panels, battery and the grid working together.

How it works

Solar powers your home, charges the battery, and stays connected to the grid.

During brownouts the battery kicks in automatically. When the grid is stable, you choose between solar and battery or the grid.

Typical cost: Starts around ₱550K with battery backup

Off-grid (standalone)

Solar panels and batteries. No utility connection.

How it works

Solar charges the batteries during the day. The batteries run your loads at night or when it's cloudy.

A fully off-grid system isn't connected to the utility, so there's no monthly electric bill.

Off-grid system vs. off-grid inverter

An off-grid inverter can still take power from the grid or a generator through its AC-IN port, to charge the batteries and run the home when they're low. That setup has a small bill. A true off-grid system runs on its own, with no utility connection.

Typical cost: Starts around ₱450K with batteries

Side by side

Quick comparison.

Swipe the table to see all three systems.

FeatureGrid-tieHybridOff-grid
Upfront costFrom ₱350KFrom ₱550KFrom ₱450K
Power during brownouts
  • No power
  • Battery backup
  • Battery
Power at night
  • From the grid
  • Battery, then grid
  • Battery
Monthly billReduced 40–60%Reduced up to 100%No bill
Battery
  • No
  • Yes
  • Yes
Net metering
  • Yes
  • Yes
  • No

Prices are starting points. Your system is sized from your bill and the appliances you want to run.

Choosing

Which system is right for you?

Not sure? Every property is different. We'll look at your location, energy use and budget during a free site visit and recommend the right system.

Choose grid-tie if:

  • You live in a city with reliable grid power
  • You want the most affordable system with the fastest ROI
  • Brownouts in your area are rare or short
  • Your main goal is a lower monthly bill
About grid-tie

Choose hybrid if:

  • You get frequent brownouts or the grid is unstable
  • Your business can't afford downtime
  • You want backup power and a lower bill
  • You run critical equipment (medical, servers)
About hybrid

Choose off-grid if:

  • You're on an island or remote area with no grid
  • You want complete energy independence
  • You run a resort, eco-lodge or off-grid property
  • A grid connection is too expensive or unavailable
About off-grid
Onsolar installation

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