Energy vs. power
Why kWh and kW answer different questions—and why a backup plan needs both.
Ask about this topicLearning Center
Useful energy questions deserve useful explanations.
Explore the concepts that shape solar, storage, backup, hybrid, off-grid, rural, and commercial energy decisions—without reducing a complex property to a generic rule of thumb.
Use the Energy PlannerAER field guide
Planning starts with the language of the system.
These educational cards introduce the questions behind a project. They are designed to make a consultation more productive, not to replace a property-specific review.
Critical-load planning
A practical method for deciding what should keep running during an outage.
Ask about this topicGrid-tied, hybrid, or off-grid
Three architectures with different operating assumptions, constraints, and opportunities.
Ask about this topicWell-pump backup
Why water systems require attention to motor starting, runtime, and priorities.
Ask about this topicBattery capacity and inverter output
Stored energy and delivery power work together, but they are not interchangeable.
Ask about this topicGenerator + solar integration
How generators can support an intentional solar and storage architecture.
Ask about this topicStart here
Energy and power are not interchangeable.
kW: power at a moment
Power is the rate at which equipment needs electricity. Inverter capacity, simultaneous loads, and motor starting are power questions.
kWh: energy over time
Energy is how much electricity is used over a period. Runtime, usage patterns, and battery capacity are energy questions.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers without a generic rule of thumb.
These answers explain the planning concepts. Final design decisions need a property-specific review.
Can solar keep running during an outage?
That depends on the system architecture, equipment, safety controls, and backup design. Solar generation and outage operation should be evaluated together rather than assumed to be automatic.
How do battery capacity and inverter power differ?
Battery capacity describes stored energy over time. Inverter power describes how much electricity can be delivered at once. Both matter when defining runtime, simultaneous loads, and start-up behavior.
Can a battery run a well pump or HVAC equipment?
It may be possible, but the answer depends on the equipment’s operating and start-up demands, runtime goal, electrical configuration, and other loads. A property-specific evaluation is important.
Is an Energy Planner result a final system design?
No. The Planner is an early planning tool. Final design, engineering, equipment selection, site evaluation, utility approvals, permitting, pricing, and installation scope are separate steps.
Bring a real property question.
From a well pump to a commercial kitchen, the useful answer depends on the equipment, the operating conditions, and what success means to the owner.