Fall Solar is not as common a topic of discussion as solar in the summer, given the high generation opportunities of the summer months and the association many people have with sunny days and solar power. It’s easy to assume that fall solar is less important or impactful, but you may be surprised to learn that fall solar is actually in a very strong position for a meaningful home project. Truthfully, there is actually a strong case to be made that fall solar is one of the strongest investment opportunities of the year, given the elements that we will discuss today. Consider these key points as you think about how you can incorporate solar into your fall plans.
The 4 key points of how we evaluate the strength of fall solar come from these categories: the cost of heating, the holiday season, the installation period, and tax season. Most people look at the fall season as a time to hibernate, to settle in over the months leading up to the end of the year and save home improvement projects until the new year. This is where it is easy to lose sight of the value of fall solar, and it is exactly these overlooked elements which can give you an advantage in the coming months and years.
When we are in the run up to the summer months, and indeed throughout the summer, we spend a lot of time talking about the cost of cooling your home. Given the dramatic rise in rates and the increased usage of energy during this time, energy bills have a habit of getting far out of control, leaving homeowners with the task of trying to cover these high and unpredictable costs. Solar is a perfect solution to the woes of powering your AC in the summer, but the fall and winter months have a similar problem that is often overlooked.
Heating your home in the winter is roughly as expensive as cooling it in the summer, with the added traditional issue of being covered by the gas portion of your bill. Modern energy efficient appliances seek to remedy this, with things like electric heat pumps becoming more and more common in modern homes. This is partially supported by recent legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, which was designed precisely to assist homeowners with the cost of projects like switching from gas to electric appliances.
That being said, once you’re on electric you’ll still have to contend with the cost of high energy usage given the many utility rate hikes of the past year, and this is where solar once again comes to the rescue. You can use a solar + storage system to offset the cost of heating your home, which we know will be an issue you contend with because of the many visitors you can expect in your home throughout the holiday season.
This leads us to our next point – the holiday season. The fall and winter periods follow a similar pattern to the summer months, which is to say that people tend to come home for the holidays, causing energy usage for the average household to increase substantially. Suddenly you have multiple people on the computer, charging their phones, and using the appliances, and all of this additional usage adds up quickly.
Fall solar is here to help support this additional usage. With energy arbitrage via a solar battery storage system, you can charge and utilize stored power to cover peak hour energy usage, and you’ll be able to heat the home and keep the light on with no fear of those dreaded high energy bills. With your heating costs covered and your increased usage supported by fall solar, you can spend the holiday season focusing on what really matters – the people all gathered under your roof.
This leads us to the prospect of installing in the fall, and honestly this is one of the unsung benefits of fall solar. Solar installation technicians are more likely to be available in the fall months, as people make the common mistake of thinking that solar is done for the year. Outside of some weather conditions and a slightly shorter day, solar is most certainly not done generating power and value once the summer ends, but when the packed summer schedules start to ease up, your local solar installer will be more likely to have availability for you to get your system up and running quickly. This will allow you to make a move that will end up saving you time and money in the long run – namely, you get to dodge the Spring Rush.
From Fall Solar to Spring Rush
Now, if you’re not familiar with the spring rush, let’s do a quick recap. The spring rush is when your friends and neighbors all wake up one day in the spring to find that the weather has cleared and things look nice and sunny outside. That leads each and every one of those people to remember that summer is coming and that they ought to get a solar installation underway before the summer months, leading to a great rush to book appointments.
It happens to us every year, and while we love to help people get into solar, we do want to help them understand that they can beat the rush by going in on solar before the rush. For instance, they can install solar in the fall, and take advantage of all the benefits we’ve discussed today!
Last but certainly not least, fall solar gives you a chance to save on your taxes in the new year, which is a big benefit to pick up before the fall and winter season ends. Getting your installation done this year means you can apply your tax credit to your taxes next year. Remember, the Solar ITC is a 30% tax credit, reinforced and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act we discussed earlier. That credit is a big deal for your taxes, and you won’t want to miss out on it by delaying into the new year – which is why a fall solar installation is so beneficial.
Luckily, you’re bound to get great value out of a solar system whether you install it in the summer or fall, but there are many benefits to fall solar that most people will overlook to their detriment. Sure you could wait till next summer to install, but you’ll have missed out on months of powerful savings if you decide to wait that long. If you want to know more about how you can make fall solar a part of your plans this year, you can model your system using our new tool, or schedule time with one of our expert consultants to have a full service solar experience!