Many homeowners believe that the best time to go solar is the summer which is by far when most people sign up. With it being the busiest time of year for solar companies, however, many people will actually want to get in before then. This is not the only reason to go solar in the winter or spring, however. Getting installed takes a few months so you will want to get in before the sunniest months. Read on to find out why these are such important reasons as well as a couple of other incentives to go solar in the winter/spring.
Save Your Place on the Install Schedule Early
Most people believe summer to be the ideal time of year to go solar because they are aware that is the season when there is the most sun. For most people, it is also when they will spend the most on electricity. That makes sense, right? There are a few reasons why this might not be the ideal plan including that it is when installers are the busiest which may cause delays. Signing up for solar in the winter or spring instead will ensure a faster installation.
Physically installing the solar generally only takes a few days, but typically happens a few months after signing up. This is because reputable solar companies like Rooftop Solar professionally engineer your solar system and must have the design approved by the city and/or county. Any changes need to be incorporated into the design, and the process takes a little time. Avoid the rush, and get started early this year!
Go Solar in Time for the Big Production Months
It is very important to be able to take advantage of the biggest production months of the year when going solar. Wherever you live, your system will produce the most in the summer because of the increase in hours of daylight. This coincides with the fact that summer means the most expensive energy months for most people. Anyone running an AC unit in their home can attest to this, especially in Arizona. Signing up in the winter or spring will guarantee that your system will be up and operating by the time these most expensive months come around and that you’ll be able to make the most of the summer sun.
Increased Production
Believe it or not, solar systems actually operate more efficiently in the cold than they do in the heat! This makes sense when you consider how electronics have a hard time when they are overheated. You will produce more total energy during the long summer days with slightly less efficiency per panel. Rooftop Solar systems still see very modest decreases in production in the heat, but you might as well get in during the most efficient months of the year to maximize those early months
There is also an additional slight increase in production in the winter due to the snow reflecting sunlight. Snow is in fact so conductive of heat that many homeowners with concerns about the snow piling up on their panels are shocked by how quickly it melts relative to the snow on the ground.
Other Incentives
Homeowners will also want to go solar soon this year because solar home loan rates are still as low as 4.99% with Rooftop Solar for the time being. In the current climate of volatile interest rates, we don’t know how long this may last! Finally, you will want to get in before the yearly APS solar buy-back rate decrease. This is the yearly hearing that APS conducts with the Arizona Corporation Commission where they have the opportunity to ask for a 10% decrease in the rate at which they buy back solar. Any customer signed up before September 1st, however, will be grandfathered into the current buyback rate of 8.4 cents per kilowatt/hour.
Enquire with Rooftop Solar now to get installed before the busiest time of the year while you can take advantage of the highest months of production, the most expensive months of the year, and the most efficient ones!