A lot of people don’t know that winter is the best time to start shopping for solar. Here at ARE Solar, we recommend contracting in January-February and building in April. This way, your system is ready and running for the peak production months of May, June, and July, allowing you to see the highest return from your solar system as soon as possible. Here are some reasons why shopping for solar during the winter months is the best time to do so:
Summer is the busiest time for solar suppliers and installers, but there are benefits to getting in before peak season. Due to lower demand for solar panels in the winter months, you’ll tend to have a faster turnaround. If you opt to install during the busiest season, you may have to wait longer for your installation than you’d like.
Solar panels generate plenty of electricity in the winter. Check out our blog post about the effectiveness of solar panels during the winter months to learn more about why solar panels work more efficiently in cold weather. While your solar panels won’t generate as much energy as in the peak production months of the summer, the positive effect of cold weather largely offsets the lack of sunlight in winter.
You’ll be setting your system up to begin generating electricity in the highest producing months. By choosing to install your system in the winter, you’ll be giving it plenty of time to get going before the peak production months of May, June, and July, when the sun is out the longest and electricity production is highest.
Financial incentives are at record highs right now. With the Federal Solar Tax Credit, Net Metering, and State Tax Exemptions, now is the best time to go solar. Incentives like the Federal Solar Tax Credit are expected to drop soon, so the sooner you build your solar system, the more you’ll save.
