This new site was our largest yet.

Ten white battery cabinets stood in a perfect row on a concrete pad, their metal doors gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

Derek was kneeling by the main inverter, his fingers adjusting a terminal wire with a small screwdriver.

He wore a faded blue canvas jacket and a baseball cap, his face smudged with dark grease.

“Are the load balances ready?” I asked him.

He stood up, wiping his hands on a rag, and looked at his tablet.

“Everything is green,” he said. “The solar array is pulling forty kilowatts even with the cloud cover.”

I walked over to the main distribution panel.

The heavy black switch was cool against my palm.

“Let’s do it,” I said.

I pushed the switch upward until it locked with a solid, heavy click.

A soft, rhythmic hum rose from the concrete pad.

Down the hill, the streetlights of the new neighborhood flickered twice, then settled into a steady, bright glow.

The windows of the small apartment buildings began to light up, one by one, reflecting the orange light of the sunset.