Solar panels during winter

[DW493]

Have had a 5 kw system for about 6 months- since late march. The first bill saw a reduction of approx $200      ( this quarter included a pre-panel period)... I thought fair enough!  But the next quarter , my bill was virtually the same as the previous year- hardly any solar generation. Now that the we're getting sunnier /longer days, the panels are almost generating our total usage...but that winter period-I was a bit taken aback. Is this the normal cycle? 

Any comments appreciated

DW493

[jayden_AGL]

Hi DW493,

Great question!
 

The colder months of each year can be unfavourable to households with solar systems unfortunately. Not only will solar output diminish due to the changes in weather conditions (increased cloud coverage etc), but residential households also generally consume more power during the colder months due to the use of heating appliances etc. For this reason, bills do quite often jump up around this time of year.

If you've since seen your solar system return to the level of productivity observed at the start of this year, then it sounds like you're on your way to a lower bill next quarter!

Cheers,

Jayden