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Welcome back to the third week of our Solar Myth Busters series. For this week's edition, we're diving into the common myth that summer is the ideal time to go solar. After all, winter electricity bills are pretty cheap when you live in Phoenix, so isn't it better to install solar when your bills are at their highest?
My electricity bills are low in the winter, so it's better to go solar in the summer.
Many people start thinking about solar once their bills are at their highest and most painful, but this usually ends up hurting them. Below are three reasons why the cooler months are better to go solar to speed up the return on your investment.
1. Maximize and bank your excess energy
Suppose your utility district supports an energy buyback program. In that case, you’ll receive a significantly faster financial return by installing solar during the cooler months when you are more likely to produce more energy than you use. Selling excess solar energy back to the utility is easy when you're not running the AC. As a result, going solar in the fall and winter is the best way to ensure that you’ll have credits available to help offset your skyrocketing summer bills.
2. Solar installation timing
The process of designing and installing a solar energy system is complex. Once you decide to go solar, it can take weeks to design an optimized system for your home, secure financing, acquire city permits, and complete the installation and activation with your local power utility. Even if you start this process in late spring or early summer, you may not be finished until much of the summer has passed. Doing it now ensures you’re up and running when the temperature rises.
In addition, solar installers usually see a dip in business through fall and winter. This helps to open up the installation schedules dramatically. In the summer, more business means finding the right time in a packed installation calendar is harder. You may also have travel plans that you need to work around. Add to this the already complicated solar installation timeline and your solar investment might not work until the hottest part of the year has passed.
3. More time to evaluate options
Going solar in winter takes the pressure off having to make quick decisions. Since going solar begins a relationship that can last for decades, giving yourself plenty of time to make the best choice is imperative. Look at all of your options and quotes and make a confident decision on which company will help you best achieve your energy goals.
If you're waiting until the summer to go solar, you'll compete with the seasonal rush solar installers experience. Installers ' schedules are already filling up with the 30% ITC ending in 2019. Contact one of our qualified solar integrators to start your solar project today!
Other parts in our Myth Busters series:
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