ELECTRICAL SERVICE SIZE

The main service panel for your house, sometimes called your "breaker box," is rated to handle a certain number of amps, or current. You should be able to find this rating near the top of the label on the inside of the door. If not, you may be able to read the amperage rating of the main breaker in the panel. This would be on the end or side of the main breaker switch. Most new homes have a 200 amp panel. Some older homes have panels rated as low as 60 amps.

This information is important to know when planning a solar array because the array will "backfeed" current in to your panel, adding to the current supplied by the grid. This may cause the overall electrical load to the panel to exceed its rated capacity. If this is the case, there are several solutions we can employ to address this situation should the need arise.

Here is an example of what to look for: