Loading...

Processing your request

Thank you for your patience.

Skip to main content
Southwestern Electric Power Company
  • My Account
    • Account Summary
    • Bills & Payments
      • Bills & Payments Overview
      • View Your Bills
        • Billing History
        • View Bill
        • Understanding Your Bill
      • Pay Your Bill
        • Make a Payment
        • Payment Activity
        • Payment Assistance
          • Payment Assistance Overview
          • Payment Assistance Programs
          • Bill Assistance Options
          • Payment Arrangement
          • Payment Extension
          • High Bill Help
        • Manage Payment Methods
        • AutoPay
        • Average Monthly Payments
      • Paperless Billing
        • Paperless Billing Overview
        • Calculate Your Savings
      • Billing & Payment Programs
        • Programs Overview
        • Paperless Billing
        • AutoPay
        • Average Monthly Payments
        • Neighbor To Neighbor
        • Working with HomeServe
      • Payment Assistance
      • Billing Alerts
    • Service Requests
      • Service Requests Overview
      • Start, Stop or Transfer Your Service
        • Overview
        • Start Service
        • Stop Service
        • Transfer Service
      • Modify Service
        • Change or Upgrade Your Service
        • Modify Home Service
        • Modify Business Service
      • Security Deposits
      • Meter Reading Schedule
      • Request a Letter of Credit
    • Your Energy Usage
      • Energy Usage Summary
      • Ways To Save
    • Account Settings
      • Account Settings Overview
      • Notifications
        • Notifications Overview
        • Usage Notifications
      • Manage Multiple Accounts
        • View Your Accounts
        • Add Account
        • Remove Account
        • Change Default Login Account
      • Change Account Password
      • Change Email Address
      • Change Mailing Address
      • Change Phone Number
      • Manage Meter Access
      • Change Profile Name
    • Business Accounts
  • Outages
    • Outages Overview
    • Report Power Outage
    • Check Outage Status
    • View Outage Map
    • Grid Emergency Information
      • Grid Emergency Information Overview
      • Grid Emergency Tips
    • Storm Preparation
    • Outage Alerts
    • Report Other Problem
      • Report Safety Hazard
      • Report Tree Problem
      • Report Streetlight Problem
      • Report Leased Light Problem
      • Report Power Theft
    • Outages FAQ
    • Outage Verification Letter
  • Savings
    • Savings Overview
    • Money and Energy Savings for Your Home
      • Home Savings Overview
      • Save Energy
        • Save Energy Overview
        • Appliances & Electronics
          • Appliances & Electronics Overview
          • Electric Cooking Recipes
        • Heating & Cooling
        • Landscaping
        • Lighting
        • Water Heating
      • Money Saving Programs for Your Home
        • Money Saving Programs for Your Home Overview
        • Weatherization Program
        • HVAC Incentive Program
        • New Homes Program
        • Business Savings
      • Rebates for Your Home
      • Monthly Energy Efficiency Newsletter
      • Temperature Tracker
    • Money and Energy Savings for Your Business
      • Money and Energy Savings for Your Business Overview
      • Save Energy
        • Save Energy Overview
        • Heating & Cooling (HVAC)
        • Lighting
        • Motors & Drives
        • Refrigeration
      • Arkansas Energy Programs
      • Business Energy Efficiency Incentives
      • Quarterly Energy Efficiency Newsletter
      • Temperature Tracker
      • Savings Toolkit
    • Your Energy Usage
    • Payment Assistance
    • Contractor Center
  • Community
    • Community Overview
    • Caring For Our Community
      • Caring For Our Community Overview
      • Volunteering
      • Charitable Giving
      • Neighbor to Neighbor
      • Featured Stories
    • Growing Our Community
      • Growing Our Community Overview
      • Community & Customer Experience/External Affairs
        • Community & Customer Experience/External Affairs Overview
        • Arkansas External Affairs Manager
        • Louisiana External Affairs Manager
        • Texas External Affairs Manager
    • Power Projects & Plans
      • Power Projects & Plans Overview
      • Ark. Integrated Resource Plan
      • La. Integrated Resource Plan
      • Reliability & Tree Trimming
      • Generation
      • Smart Meters
        • Smart Meters Overview
        • Advanced Metering System Project - Texas
        • Advanced Metering System Project - Louisiana
    • Energy Education
      • Energy Education Overview
      • Kids & Teachers
      • Recreation
      • Electric & Magnetic Fields
    • Clean Energy
    • Economic Development
    • Electric Cars
    • Electrification for Your Business
    • Featured Stories
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Update Account Settings
    • Pay Bill
    • Get Payment Assistance
    • Report an Outage
    • Start, Stop & Transfer
    • Aepril Digital Assistant
  • Safety
    • Safety Overview
    • Order Safety DVD
    • Power Line Safety
    • Staying Safe at Home
    • Contractor Safety
    • Emergency Responders
    • Generator Safety for Businesses
  • Company
    • Company Overview
    • About Us
      • About Us Overview
      • SWEPCO Leadership
      • SWEPCO Electric Rates
        • SWEPCO Electric Rates Overview
        • Arkansas Electric Rates
        • Louisiana Electric Rates
        • Texas Electric Rates
        • Arkansas 2024 Formula Rate Review
        • Arkansas 2023 Formula Rate Review Filing
    • Economic Development
      • Economic Development Overview
      • AEP Economic Development
      • Economic Development Training
    • News Releases
      • News Releases Overview
      • Southwestern Electric Power Company Media Contacts
    • Careers
    • Legal Notices
    • Media Gallery
  • Clean Energy
    • Clean Energy Overview
    • Electric Cars
      • Electric Cars Overview
      • Charging Stations
        • Charging Stations Overview
        • EV Charging Station Rules
      • Electric Vehicles for Your Business
    • Electrification for Your Business
      • Electrification for Your Business Overview
      • Municipal Buses
      • Electric Forklifts
    • Environment
      • Environment Overview
      • Eagle Watch
    • Renewable Energy
      • Renewable Energy Overview
      • SWEPCO Renewable Energy Choice
        • SWEPCO Renewable Energy Choice Overview
        • Registration
      • Solar
        • Solar Overview
        • Do's and Don'ts of Hiring a Contractor
        • How Residential Solar Panels Work
      • Wind
      • Clean Energy Plan
  • Business Customers
    • Business Summary
    • Business To Business
      • Business To Business Overview
      • Energy Provider RFPs
        • Energy Provider RFPs Overview
        • Natural Gas Interconnect / Firm Transportation RFP - Hallsville
        • Natural Gas Interconnect / Firm Transportation RFP- Welsh
        • Draft 2024 SWEPCO Wind, Solar, Storage, and Natural Gas RFPs
        • 2023 Accredited Deliverable Capacity RFP
      • Pole Attachment Policy
      • Fuel Provider RFPs
    • Industry Solutions
      • Industry Solutions Overview
      • Economic & Business Development
      • Sustainability
      • Electrification
      • Associated Business Development
    • Builders & Contractors
      • Builders & Contractors Overview
      • Installing Generating Equipment
      • New Business Service
      • New Home Service
      • Requirements For Electrical Service
      • Temporary Service
    • Federal Tax Credits | Explore Grants & Incentives for Your Business
Register Contact us
Give feedback
  • My Account(current)
    Account Summary
    Bills & Payments
    • View Bills
    • Pay Bill
    • Payment Activity
    • Payment Assistance
    • Billing Alerts
    • Security Deposits
    • Electric Rates
    Service Requests
    • Start, Stop & Transfer Service
    • Modify Service
    • Meter Reading
    • Letter of Credit
    Billing & Payment Programs
    • Paperless Billing
    • AutoPay
    • Average Monthly Payments
    Energy Usage
    • View Usage
    • Energy Saving Tips
    Business Accounts
    • Business Summary
    • Industry Solutions
    • Builders & Contractors
    • Business to Business
    Register
    Account Settings
    Change your email, phone number, and other settings on your profile
    Notification Preferences
    Get bill and outage alerts, or manage how we contact you
  • Outages(current)
    Outages Overview
    • Report an Outage
    • Check Outage Status
    • Outage Alerts
    • View Outage Map
    • Power Restoration FAQs
    • Outage Verification Letter
    Safety
    • Power Line Safety
    Report Other Problems
    • Safety Hazard
    • Tree Problem
    • Streetlight Problem
    • Leased Light Problem
    • Power Theft
  • Savings(current)
    Savings Overview
    Home Savings
    • Rebates and Incentives
    • Energy Usage
    • Newsletter
    Energy Tips
    • Heating & Cooling
    • Lighting
    • Landscaping
    • Appliances & Electronics
    Business Savings
    • Energy Saving Tips
    • Newsletter
    • Incentive Finder
    Payment Assistance
    Contractor Center
  • Community(current)
    Community Overview
    Caring for Our Community
    • Featured Stories
    • Volunteering
    • Charitable Giving
    • Neighbor to Neighbor Fund
    Projects & Plans
    • SWEPCO Generation
    • Reliability & Tree Trimming
    Economic Development
    Clean Energy
    • Environment
    • Electrification for Your Business
    • Renewable Energy
    • Electric Cars
    • Solar
    Our Company
    • News Releases
    • About Us
    • Careers
  • Contact(current)
    Contact Overview
    Contact by Phone:
    • 1.888.216.3523
    Power out?
    • Report an Outage
    • Check Outage Status
    • View Outage Map
    Call 811 Before You Dig
    Careers
    Account Maintenance
    • Update Account Settings
    • Pay Bill
    • Get Payment Assistance
    • Start, Stop & Transfer
    • Notification Preferences
    Other Contacts:
    • Media Contacts
    Social Media:
    • Facebook
    • X
    • LinkedIn
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
×
  1. Home
  2. Clean Energy
  3. Renewable Energy
  4. Solar
  5. How Residential Solar Panels Work

How Residential Solar Panels Work

Diagram of how solar panels work, numbered 1-6
1

Distributed Energy Resource

Any source of power that is not owned by our utility. For homeowners, the most popular source is solar panels.


2

Inverter

Solar panels, the most common type of distributed energy resource, generate Direct Current (DC) power, while home appliances use Alternating Current (AC) power. An inverter converts DC power to usable AC power, and provides some limited protections for abnormal operating conditions.


3

Generation Meter

Measures how much energy your equipment generates. This meter is sometimes called a “production meter” and it operates separately from your existing electric meter. This is usually provided by the solar panel installer.


4

AC Disconnect Switch

Safely isolates your equipment from our grid. This must be accessible and lockable by our crews at all times.


5

Breaker Box

Allows you to shut off power to different sections of your home (or all of your home if desired).


6

Utility Meter

A typical meter installed in your home by your utility. This meter measures how much energy SWEPCO supplies to your house when your solar panels aren’t producing energy. It also measures how much energy your solar panels send back to the electric grid when they produce more than you need.


Helpful guide for homeowners If you’ve been thinking about installing solar panels on your home, check out our guide.
View guide

Solar installation checklist Use our checklist to help with your decision-making.
See the list

Do's and don'ts of hiring a contractor Understand your responsibilities before you sign a contract.
Read before you sign

Getting started with solar power Transition to a clean energy future.
Consider your options

  • Safety
  • Company
  • Clean Energy
  • Business
Need help? Call us.
888.216.3523
State Customer Handbooks
Visit AEP.com | Investors | AEP Careers | Electric Rates | Requirements for Service | Generating Equipment
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of the AEP Terms and Conditions. Privacy Policy © 1996-2025 American Electric Power. All Rights Reserved.

Select your state handbook


  • Texas Customer Handbook

  • Arkansas: Your Rights as a Customer

  • Arkansas: "Arkansas Commercial/Industrial Price Options"

Loading video...


What Does "Remember User ID” Mean?

“Remember User ID” helps you log in without having to memorize your ID or look it up every time. When you opt in, we automatically fill in your ID from then on. To avoid unauthorized access, you’ll still have to enter your password.

Security Code

Your security code is a short word or phrase you set up with our customer service associates to provide extra protection for your online account.

If you have forgotten your security code, please call 888.216.3523.

Welcome back!

Please login to manage your account.

Forgot User ID or Password?
Register