When most people think about installing solar panels, they picture bright summer days and hours of sunshine.
So by the time September arrives, it can feel like the solar season is coming to an end.
In reality, September can be one of the smartest times of year to start your solar journey.
Solar panels do not need hot weather to work, they generate electricity from daylight. And while generation naturally reduces as we move towards winter, installing in autumn means your system can start working immediately and, importantly, be ready to take full advantage when generation increases again in spring.
If you have been considering investing in solar this year, here are five reasons why September could be a very good time to do it.
1. You Can Start Reducing Your Grid Electricity Use Before Winter
As the evenings get darker and temperatures begin to fall, many households naturally start using more energy.
Lights are switched on earlier, tumble dryers get more use, people spend more time indoors and, for homes using electric heating or heat pumps, electricity consumption can increase considerably.
Without solar, that electricity comes primarily from your energy supplier.
With solar, your home can generate some of its own electricity during daylight hours, reducing the amount you need to purchase from the grid.
Will solar eliminate your winter electricity bill?
No.
Generation is lower during the winter months, and we think homeowners should be realistic about that.
But your panels do not simply stop working because summer has finished.
Even during autumn and winter, your system can continue contributing towards your household electricity consumption.
And the sooner it is installed, the sooner it can start doing that.
2. Your System Will Be Ready Before Spring Generation Increases
One of the biggest advantages of installing solar in September is what happens next.
Your system is already there.
As daylight hours begin increasing again after winter, your panels are ready to take advantage of them.
There is no waiting for surveys.
No waiting for installation.
No suddenly deciding in April or May that you want solar and joining everyone else who had exactly the same idea.
Your system is already generating.
Think of September installation as getting ahead rather than arriving late.
You may not be installing during the highest-generation months, but you are positioning yourself to benefit from the next full solar year.
3. You Don’t Need Summer Heat for Solar Panels to Work
This is still one of the biggest solar misconceptions.
Solar panels need daylight, not heat.
A bright, cool September day can still produce electricity.
In fact, extremely high temperatures are not necessarily beneficial to solar panel efficiency. Like most electrical equipment, solar panels have an optimum operating range, and their efficiency can reduce slightly as panel temperatures become very high.
What changes most dramatically throughout the year is the amount of available daylight.
Summer naturally produces more because the days are longer.
But that does not mean your system becomes redundant once September arrives.
It simply means generation follows a seasonal pattern.
That is completely normal and should already be accounted for when your installer provides an annual generation estimate.
4. September Is a Good Time to Think About Battery Storage
Solar generation and household electricity consumption do not always happen at the same time.
Your panels might generate electricity while you are at work during the day, but your highest electricity usage might happen between 5pm and 10pm.
That is where battery storage can become particularly useful.
Instead of exporting all your unused daytime generation, a battery can store some of it for use later.
During autumn and winter, battery storage can become even more interesting.
Depending on your system and electricity tariff, some homeowners may be able to charge their battery using cheaper overnight grid electricity and then use that stored energy during more expensive periods.
This means the battery can potentially continue working for you even when solar generation is lower.
However, battery storage needs to be designed properly.
A battery that is too small may not meet your household’s requirements.
A battery that is unnecessarily large could mean spending thousands of pounds on storage capacity you rarely use.
At Novus Energy, we look at how you actually use electricity before recommending what size battery, if any, would suit your home.
5. Waiting Until Next Summer Means Another Year of Buying Electricity
This is perhaps the biggest reason to consider solar now.
It is easy to think:
“I’ll wait until next summer.”
But what happens between now and then?
You continue buying your electricity from your supplier.
Every month you delay is another month where your roof could potentially have been generating some of the electricity your household uses.
Nobody can predict exactly what electricity prices will do over the next year, five years or twenty years.
Prices could rise.
They could fall.
They could continue fluctuating.
Solar does not make you completely independent from those changes, but it can reduce the amount of electricity you need to purchase.
If you already know you are likely to install solar eventually, waiting purely because September does not feel like “solar season” may not make financial sense.
What Will Solar Generate During Autumn and Winter?
This depends entirely on your property and system.
Factors include:
- The number and output of your panels
- Roof orientation
- Roof pitch
- Shading
- Your location
- Weather conditions
- Available daylight
A professionally designed solar proposal should give you an estimate of annual generation, rather than focusing only on summer.
You should expect generation to rise and fall throughout the year.
That is how solar works in the UK.
The important figure is what the system is expected to produce across the entire year and how much of that electricity your household can actually use.
Does My Roof Need to Face South?
No.
A south-facing roof can be excellent for solar, but it is certainly not the only option.
East and west-facing roofs can also work very well.
In some households, an east-west system may even complement electricity consumption particularly well by spreading generation across more of the day.
Your installer should assess:
- Orientation
- Available roof space
- Shading
- Roof condition
- Electricity consumption
- When you use electricity
The goal should not simply be to fit panels.
It should be to design a system that works around your property and lifestyle.
What If I Have an Older, Slate or Stone Roof?
This is particularly relevant for homeowners across Yorkshire.
Older properties, natural slate, stone roofs and unusual roof layouts are sometimes treated as problems by solar installers.
They do not necessarily need to be.
The correct mounting system and installation technique are important, and the roof should always be assessed before work begins.
At Novus Energy, we regularly install on older and more challenging properties.
We do not charge homeowners extra simply because their roof is considered “difficult”.
If we believe there is a genuine issue with your roof that should be addressed before solar is installed, we will tell you.
Should I Install Solar and a Battery Together?
Not necessarily.
For some households, solar alone may make sense.
For others, solar combined with battery storage can allow them to use more of the electricity they generate themselves.
It depends on when and how you consume electricity.
Someone working from home and using electricity throughout the day may have very different requirements from a household that is empty between 8am and 6pm.
There is no point paying for a battery simply because somebody tells you that every solar system needs one.
The numbers should justify the investment.
What If I’m Planning an EV or Heat Pump?
This is where planning ahead becomes particularly important.
Your electricity consumption today might not look anything like your consumption in three or five years.
If you are considering:
- An electric vehicle
- A heat pump
- Air conditioning
- A home extension
- Working from home more regularly
your future electricity requirements could increase significantly.
That should be considered when designing your solar system.
Installing a system purely around today’s electricity bill without discussing your future plans could leave you wishing you had designed it differently later.
Is September Really Better Than Summer?
There is no single month that is universally the “best” time to install solar.
If your property is suitable and the financial case makes sense, the best time is often simply when you are ready to do it.
September does, however, offer a useful opportunity.
You can begin generating before winter, potentially start reducing your reliance on grid electricity and have your system completely ready before the stronger generation months return.
Rather than asking:
“Have I missed summer?”
A better question might be:
“Why wait until next summer?”
Thinking About Solar This September?
Solar is a long-term investment.
You are not installing it for the next three months, you are installing a system designed to generate electricity for many years.
That is why choosing when to install based purely on the weather outside today can be misleading.
If solar makes financial sense for your home, September can be a very good time to get started.
At Novus Energy, we will assess your property, electricity consumption and future plans before recommending a system.
And if we do not think solar represents good value for your home, we will tell you.
Get in touch with Novus Energy today for your free, no-obligation solar quote.
Simply fill out the form below or give us a call on 01422 768113.