Install Solar In Winter For Peak Spring, Summer Production

Installing solar panels during the winter months might seem counterintuitive due to shorter days and reduced sunlight. However, this strategic choice can actually position homeowners to leverage the peak sun hours of spring and summer more effectively. Let’s delve into why choosing winter for solar panel installation is a wise decision to maximize energy generation during the brighter spring and summer seasons. 

In This Article:

• Winter Solar Install Equals Peak Spring, Summer Production
• It’s All About Net Metering
• Does Solar Work In Winter?

WINTER SOLAR INSTALL EQUALS PEAK SPRING, SUMMER PRODUCTION

Many people think of installing solar panels in spring and summer. However, by the time your solar panels are installed in spring or summer, you will have missed out on A LOT of potential energy production. You want your solar panels to be installed and ready BEFORE the peak solar months arrive. And as a result, you’ll also be banking valuable solar credits thanks to net metering (more on that later). 

A better plan is to think AHEAD and plan your solar panel installation early in fall or winter. By installing your solar panels in fall or winter, you and your solar company can get everything planned out and executed by the time peak solar season rolls around. 

Just think about it. A solar installation isn’t a one-call, one-visit affair. There is design, financing, permitting, inspection, and installations schedules to contend with. All together, these can take months to work through before your solar panels are ready to produce energy. 

Instead, get the solar installation process started in fall or winter. That way, you can get the solar designs completed, financing secured, permitting and inspections finished, and be ready to install solar BEFORE peak solar season. 

To learn more about installing solar panels, contact Green Ridge Solar today. We can provide all the details about the solar installation process and provide a free solar analysis. Let us know how we can help. 

How much could you save with solar panels? Use our Solar Calculator to find out! 

IT’S ALL ABOUT NET METERING

One of the biggest reasons you want to have your solar panels installed by peak solar season is a little thing called net metering. Net metering is a billing mechanism that allows you to receive energy credits for solar energy you don’t use. You can then use those solar credit hours towards future energy consumption. 

For example, say your solar panels are installed by spring or summer. There’s a ton of sun during these months, and your solar panels will be producing energy like crazy. So much energy, in fact, that you might not be able to use it all and will give some of it back to the grid. That’s where the beauty of solar net metering comes into play. 

Instead of losing out on the savings from the solar energy you produced but couldn’t use, your utility will provide you with solar energy credits. Because you provided the utility with your excess solar energy, they will give you an energy credit to use in the future. Some utilities provide a 1:1 match for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) you overproduce, meaning you earn 1 kWh energy credit for each 1 kWh you overproduce and put onto the utility grid. However, this net metering ratio varies from utility to utility. Check with your local utility or solar company to find out the net metering ratio in your area. 

Most of the time, solar energy credits you earn from net metering are used in the fall and winter. Because the fall and winter months have shorter days with less sunlight and more inclement weather, solar panels often produce less energy during these months. Also, fall and winter often require greater energy demand due to heating and lighting needs. Combined, this means your solar panels might not be able to produce as much energy as you need during the fall and winter months. However, because you banked solar energy credits during the spring and summer, you can use those energy credits towards fall and winter energy consumption. 

To put it simply, net metering allows you to bank energy credits for solar energy you overproduce. You can then use those energy credits towards future energy consumption. Produce excess energy in spring and summer, then use those energy credits during the fall and winter (or whenever you consume more energy than your solar panels produce). 

And that’s why you want to have your solar panels installed and ready by spring and summer. You want to hit the ground running and start pumping out the kilowatt hours and earning solar energy credits right away. That leads to greater savings and greater payback down the road. 

Want to learn more about solar net metering? Contact Green Ridge Solar today. We will answer all your solar questions and provide a free solar analysis. Request your free solar analysis today. 

You can also read our article about solar net metering. Check it out! 

DO SOLAR PANELS WORK IN WINTER?

While installing solar panels in winter sounds like a good idea, some people inevitably ask: Do solar panels work in winter? The short answer is yes, they definitely do. However, there are a few factors to consider. 

First of all, yes, solar panels produce energy during winter. The sun shines in winter, and if the sun is shining, solar panels will produce energy. However, the days are shorter during the winter, which means your solar panels will receive less sunlight and produce less energy.  

Also, inclement weather can reduce solar panel energy production during winter. Cloudier days and snow gathering on the solar panels will both reduce energy production. Thankfully, snow usually melts off the black, slick surface of solar panels, and the solar panels are producing like normal relatively quickly. 

Fortunately, lower winter solar production is accounted for when designing a solar panel system. Your solar panel system will be designed to produce excess energy during the sunny spring and summer months to make up for lower energy production during the fall and winter months. Again, this is the beauty net metering. If you overproduce solar energy during the spring and summer months, you can use those solar energy credits toward future energy consumption during the fall and winter. 

Read more about whether solar panels work in winter. 

WINTER IS PERFECT TIME TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS

Despite many people’s assumptions about solar, winter is possibly the best time to install solar panels. The biggest advantage to installing solar panels in winter is having your solar panels installed and ready for peak solar months. If you don’t want to miss out on the sunny spring and summer months, when your solar panels will produce lots of energy, install solar BEFORE spring and summer. Get all the financing, paperwork, permitting, inspections, and any delays out of the way so your solar is ready come spring and summer! 

By having your solar panels installed by spring and summer, you can produce tons of solar energy, and probably even produce extra energy. This extra energy you produce will earn you energy credits from the utility company. Those energy credits can be used towards future energy consumption through a billing mechanism called net-metering. That way, you can bank solar energy credits and cover energy consumption during less sunny months, like in fall and winter. 

Are you interested in installing solar panels? Would you like a free solar analysis? Contact Green Ridge Solar today! Our solar experts can provide a free solar design and hunt down every solar incentive you qualify for. Chat with us. 

Want to know how much you could save with solar? Use our Solar Calculator. It takes less than 30 seconds and even shows you how solar panels would look on your roof! Check it out!