What’s the Best Season to Buy Solar Panels in?
When it comes to having solar installed, there really is no “bad” season to have the job done (unless you live in an area that receives a lot of snow in the winter). But there are many reasons why spring might be more ideal than summer or fall to purchase your solar panels.
Here are our top five reasons why the spring season might be the best time to have your solar system installed.
#1: You Can Start Saving Money Sooner
Even if saving on your energy bill isn’t the primary reason why you’re going solar, the fact remains that the sooner you have your system up and running, the sooner you can start taking advantage of the savings. Who doesn’t want that? By having your solar panels installed in the spring, you won’t miss a single one of summer’s long, sun-drenched days. And if your utility provider offers solar energy credits, you’ll be able to start stocking up on them quicker, so you have them to use later on in the season if necessary.
#2: You Can Save on Your Installation
By the time summer rolls around, most solar installers will be inundated with jobs and prices will be at their highest of the year. If you can get your solar panels installed in the spring, you may be able to save quite a bit on your installation. You will also most likely have greater flexibility when scheduling the project because your installer simply won’t be as busy.
#3: You Can Avoid Frustrating Paperwork Delays
Having a solar system installed is similar to having any other major type of home improvement or addition performed – it requires a lot of paperwork to be filed with the appropriate places, be it your utility company or your local municipality. While your solar installer will usually handle all the permit applications and related paperwork, the deeper into the summer season it gets, the more likely you’ll face logjams in getting the paperwork processed. Get your paperwork in earlier in the season and you can get your job started on the intended date without a problem.
#4: You Can Remove Your Energy Burden from the Already Overwhelmed Electrical Grid
Every summer there seems to be more and more brown-outs and black-outs around the country caused by an overloaded national electrical grid that just can’t keep up with rising demand. By having your solar panels installed in spring, you can remove a large portion, if not all, of your energy burden from the grid during the year’s hottest season. Just think – you won’t have to worry about dealing with black-outs this summer.
#5: Your Home Will Still Have Energy If a Storm Knocks Out Power
While spring is known for its showers, summer is the time of year when the strongest and most damaging storms come to town. Summer storms regularly knock out power to millions of people every year, and usually more than once. But if you have your solar system installed before the storm season begins, you’ll be ensuring your home always has the power it needs without having to rely on a noisy, gas-guzzling generator.
#6: Your Installers will Appreciate You
Working on a roof in the heat of summer can be uncomfortable and unpleasant for solar installers. By scheduling your installation in the spring, your installers will be working in cooler and more comfortable weather, and that’s something they will greatly appreciate. And because most spring showers tend to be light and short, you will have less risk of having your project’s deadline affected by weather-related delays.
Going solar is a smart choice regardless of the time of year because it’s the best sustainable source of energy out there. But, by choosing to have your system installed in the spring, you’ll be able to truly get the most out of it.