Solar Setup Diagram Guide: Off-Grid, Hybrid and Grid-Tied Systems for DIYers

Last checked 20 October 2026 · JH Solar guide

What a solar setup diagram shows, and why people look for one

A solar setup diagram is a block drawing, not a photo. Each box is one device, each line is a cable, and the arrows show which way energy moves. A good drawing also shows fuses, breakers and grounding.

Many people look for a solar setup diagram on their phone after a brownout, or after an installer hands them a quote full of unfamiliar parts. Others are DIYers who want to power a nipa hut or a farm shed. The diagram answers three questions: what parts do I need, how do they connect, and where is the danger.

The benefit: you catch missing fuses before they cause a fire, see whether a kit includes a battery, and check that inverter and battery voltages match. The weakness: a block drawing does not give cable sizes or breaker ratings. Those come from the equipment manuals and a licensed electrician who follows the Philippine Electrical Code published by the IIEE.

Parts and symbols in a solar setup diagram, one by one

Every solar setup diagram uses some mix of these parts. A grid-tied system has no battery, and a small off-grid kit has no net meter. Read the table, then try to name each box in the drawings below.

The controller rows matter most for small DIY kits. An MPPT lets you wire panels in series at a higher voltage and still charge a 12 V or 24 V battery, so the long run from the roof can use thinner cable. Read more on how maximum power point tracking works.

The color key used in our diagrams

Every solar setup diagram on this site uses the same three line styles. Boxes have tones too: blue for panels, dark navy for electronics, light orange for protection devices, a deeper orange for the battery, gray for the utility grid and meter, and green for loads and the ground rod.

The main solar setup diagram types

Almost every home solar setup diagram falls into one of three families, plus the all-in-one variant. The difference: does the system have a battery, and is it connected to the grid?

Off-grid: battery only, no grid

Solar panels feed a PV breaker, then an MPPT charge controller. The controller and the inverter both connect to the battery through one main fuse and busbar at the battery positive; the inverter branch also has a DC breaker near the battery. The inverter feeds an AC breaker and the household loads. The panel frames, controller, inverter and battery bond to a grounding rod.

Panels feed a charge controller through a PV breaker; the controller charges the battery through a fuse; an inverter turns battery power into AC. Nothing connects to Meralco or your cooperative, so a careful DIYer can build the DC side of a small kit. It suits nipa huts, farms and brownout corners. Follow our step-by-step off-grid solar setup guide.

Hybrid: panels, battery and grid together

Solar panels connect through a DC isolator and surge protector to a hybrid inverter. The inverter charges and draws from a battery through a DC breaker. Utility power enters through the main breaker to the inverter grid input, and can flow back out when exporting is allowed; the inverter backup output feeds a backup sub-panel for essential loads, while other loads stay on the main panel. The panel frames, isolator and inverter bond to a grounding rod.

A hybrid inverter uses the panels, the battery and the grid. In a brownout the battery runs a backup panel for essential loads. It ties into your main panel board, so a licensed electrician installs it. Here are the inverter types explained: hybrid, grid-tie and off-grid. See the hybrid solar system diagram guide.

Grid-tied: no battery, lower day-time bill

Solar panels connect through a DC isolator and surge protector to a grid-tie inverter. The inverter output goes through an AC breaker to the main panel board, which serves household loads and connects to the utility through a bidirectional net meter that records import and export. The panel frames, isolator and inverter bond to a grounding rod. There is no battery, so the system shuts off during a brownout.

A grid-tie inverter feeds the main panel board, and a net meter records what you import and export. There is no backup: the inverter shuts down in a brownout to protect line workers. Read our on-grid diagram and net metering steps.

All-in-one: inverter and battery in one cabinet

Solar panels connect through a DC isolator and surge protector to an all-in-one unit that holds the hybrid inverter and the battery in one cabinet. Utility power feeds its grid input through a breaker, and its backup output feeds the essential-loads panel.

A hybrid system where inverter and battery share one cabinet, so there are fewer boxes and DC cables on the wall. This is the type of unit sold by JH Solar: the Version 2 package lists 14 panels of 720 W (10.08 kWp) with a rated 11 kW inverter and 15.36 kWh nominal battery. See the JH Solar Version 1 and Version 2 packages; the price is confirmed after a site assessment.

Which solar setup diagram fits you?

Start from your goal, not from a kit. Backup needs a battery. A lower bill with rare outages may only need grid-tied. No grid at all means off-grid.

Net metering and your solar setup diagram

Net metering lets a grid-tied or hybrid system send surplus daytime power to Meralco or your electric cooperative for peso credits on your bill. On a solar setup diagram it shows up as one box: the bidirectional net meter between your main panel board and the grid. Off-grid kits have no such box, because they never connect to the utility.

Systems up to 100 kW can apply, with or without a battery, so a hybrid or all-in-one unit can join if the utility approves the setup. Since the 2025 rule changes, unused credits roll over to later bills. You need an LGU electrical permit, a Certificate of Final Electrical Inspection, a net-metering agreement and a licensed electrician; the export side is never DIY. Our net metering guide for the Philippines walks through the steps, fees and processing times.

Step-by-step guide: plan your system from a solar setup diagram

The planning order is the same for every setup. Each step adds detail to your own drawing until it is ready to show a seller or electrician.

1. 1

   Step 1: Compute your daily load

   Daily kWh = sum of (watts × hours) ÷ 1,000. Example: an 800 W aircon for 8 hours uses 800 × 8 = 6,400 Wh, or 6.4 kWh. Our solar setup calculator does this from your bill or a load list.

2. 2

   Step 2: Pick the setup type

   Use the comparison table: backup means off-grid, hybrid or all-in-one; no grid means off-grid.

3. 3

   Step 3: List every part on the diagram

   Write a real part next to each box: panel watts, controller or inverter model, battery voltage and capacity, every fuse, breaker, isolator, surge protector and the ground rod. An empty box means the list is not finished.

4. 4

   Step 4: Check voltages and currents on every line

   String voltage must stay inside the controller or inverter limits: below the maximum on a cool morning, when voltage is highest, and above the MPPT minimum on a hot afternoon. Battery voltage must match the inverter. Current decides fuse, breaker and cable size, from the manuals.

5. 5

   Step 5: Plan cable routes and protection

   Mark each cable run and its length. Keep DC runs short, put the battery fuse close to the battery, and draw a grounding line from every frame and case.

6. 6

   Step 6: Sort out permits if the system touches the grid

   Hybrid, all-in-one and grid-tied systems need a licensed electrician and an LGU electrical permit. If you plan to export power, you also apply for net metering with your utility. The Meralco net metering FAQ lists the documents as of October 2026; check the current requirements with your utility.

7. 7

   Step 7: Install in the right order

   Mount first, wire second, energize last. Each setup guide gives its own wiring order.

8. 8

   Step 8: Test before you trust it

   Check polarity and voltage with a multimeter before closing each breaker, switch on one stage at a time, and recheck connections for heat after a few days.

What a DIYer can do safely, and what needs a licensed electrician

Some lines on a solar setup diagram are far more dangerous than others. Our rule: DIY only on small DC-side off-grid kits, always with fuses, breakers and grounding. Anything touching your AC panel board or the grid is for a registered master electrician (RME) or professional electrical engineer (PEE).

Reasonable for a careful DIYer

• Planning, sizing and drawing your own diagram, and checking a kit against it.
• Mounting panels on a low, stable rack, not a steep or high roof.
• Wiring a small 12 V or 24 V off-grid kit on the DC side.
• Plugging loads into the inverter's own outlets.

Call a licensed electrician

• Anything inside or connected to the AC panel board, including a backup sub-panel or transfer switch.
• Every hybrid, all-in-one and grid-tied installation, and any net-metering application.
• Fixed AC wiring from an off-grid inverter into walls or outlets.
• High-voltage panel strings, large battery banks, and tall or steep roofs.

A wrong AC connection can shock a line worker during a brownout, and an unfused battery cable can start a fire in seconds. The split keeps those risks with licensed professionals.

Red flags to catch on a plan or quote

If you see any of these, ask the seller or installer to explain before you pay.

• No fuse or breaker next to the battery positive terminal.
• AC-only breakers drawn or supplied for DC lines.
• No DC isolator or surge protector between the panels and the controller or inverter.
• No grounding line from panel frames, rails and equipment cases.
• A battery voltage that does not match the inverter input.
• A grid connection, backup panel or transfer switch with no licensed electrician named.

Tools for reading a diagram and building a small kit

The multimeter matters most: it checks that the real wiring matches your drawing before anything is switched on.

On your phone: mobile tips for using diagrams

• Save the diagram. Screenshot the drawing you need into an album for your project, so it opens on the roof without signal.
• Turn the phone sideways. The diagrams are wide; landscape mode shows the full drawing and you can pinch to zoom.
• Mark up your copy. Write part models and cable lengths on the screenshot. That becomes your own diagram.
• Photograph your panel board, meter and nameplates. An electrician can check your plan faster from clear photos.

Philippine context for any solar setup diagram

• Brownouts. If outages are your main worry, look at the off-grid, hybrid or all-in-one drawings, not grid-tied.
• Meralco and cooperatives. Grid-connected systems go through your distribution utility. Net metering under the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 (RA 9513) covers systems up to 100 kW.
• Peak sun hours. Most places get about 3.5 to 5 a day. Look up your city on the Global Solar Atlas before sizing panels.
• Typhoons and rain. Mounting must suit strong winds, and cloudy rainy-season days call for more battery or panel margin.
• Heat. Mount inverters and batteries in shade with airflow, never in a closed box under direct sun.

Conclusion: read the diagram first, then build or hire

A solar setup diagram is the cheapest tool in any solar project. It shows what you need, how power flows, and where fuses, breakers and ground connections belong. Learn the parts and the color key, pick the drawing that matches your goal, and plan in order.

For a small DC off-grid kit, our step-by-step guide shows the wiring with pictures. If your plan touches the panel board or the grid, brief a licensed electrician with your diagram.