As summer comes to an end and the days start getting shorter, solar panels might not be the first home improvement that comes to mind.
In fact, one of the most common assumptions we hear is:
“Surely I’m better waiting until spring to get solar?”
It sounds logical. After all, solar panels generate more electricity during the longer, brighter days of spring and summer.
But if you are already considering investing in solar, waiting until next year could actually mean missing months of potential savings.
Installing solar in autumn means your system can start reducing your reliance on the grid immediately, while also being completely ready to take advantage of increased generation when spring arrives.
So, is it worth getting solar panels before winter? Let’s look at what homeowners actually need to consider.
Do Solar Panels Still Work in Winter?
Yes.
One of the biggest misconceptions about solar panels is that they need hot, sunny weather to generate electricity.
They don’t.
Solar photovoltaic panels use light to generate electricity, not heat, which means they can continue producing electricity throughout autumn and winter.
Of course, generation will be lower than during summer. The days are shorter, the sun sits lower in the sky, and poor weather can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching your panels.
That means you should never expect a December day to produce the same amount of electricity as a bright day in June.
But lower generation does not mean zero generation.
Your system can still contribute towards your household electricity consumption throughout winter, reducing the amount of electricity you need to purchase from the grid.
Why Install Solar Before Winter Instead of Waiting Until Spring?
If you already know you want solar, there is an obvious downside to waiting.
Every month without solar is another month where you are buying all of your electricity from your energy supplier.
Install in September or October, and your system starts generating as soon as it is commissioned.
Wait until March or April, and you could potentially spend another five or six months relying entirely on grid electricity.
You will generate less during those winter months than you would during summer, but some generation is still better than none.
More importantly, your installation is already complete when the stronger generation months begin.
You’ll Be Ready for the First Days of Spring
This is one of the biggest advantages of installing before winter.
Solar generation does not suddenly switch on when summer arrives. As daylight hours begin increasing after the shortest days of winter, generation gradually starts climbing too.
If your panels are already installed, you capture that increase from day one.
If you wait until spring before starting to request quotes, arranging surveys and booking an installation, you could miss part of that higher-generation period while everything is organised.
Getting everything completed beforehand means your system is sitting there ready to make the most of every brighter day.
What About Adding Battery Storage?
This is where installing solar before winter can become particularly interesting.
A solar battery allows you to store electricity generated by your panels and use it later.
For example, your panels might generate electricity while you are at work during the day. Instead of exporting all that unused electricity to the grid, some of it can be stored in your battery.
When you come home and start cooking, watching television or using appliances, you can draw electricity from the battery instead of immediately buying it from the grid.
But batteries can also have another role during winter.
Depending on your system and electricity tariff, some batteries can be programmed to charge from the grid when electricity is cheaper, then supply your home when electricity is more expensive.
This means battery storage is not necessarily sitting unused simply because winter solar generation is lower.
A properly designed solar and battery system should consider how your household uses electricity throughout the entire year, not just during summer.
Can Solar Actually Make a Difference to Winter Energy Bills?
Yes, but expectations need to be realistic.
Your electricity bill is unlikely to disappear.
You will probably still need electricity from the grid, particularly during darker winter evenings when household demand can be higher and solar generation has stopped.
The aim is to reduce how much electricity you need to buy, rather than promise complete independence from your energy supplier.
Every kilowatt-hour your panels generate and your household uses is electricity you do not have to purchase at the full import rate.
Over months and years, those avoided electricity purchases form a significant part of the financial case for solar.
Autumn Can Actually Be a Great Time to Install
Summer tends to be the season when homeowners naturally start thinking about solar.
The sun comes out, electricity generation is easy to imagine, and enquiries increase.
But that does not mean summer is the only good installation season.
Solar installations take place throughout the year.
Autumn can be a particularly sensible time because you are getting ahead of the following year’s peak generation period rather than waiting for everyone else to start thinking about solar again.
There are obviously occasions when severe weather can affect installation schedules. High winds, snow, ice or other unsafe conditions can mean roof work needs to be postponed.
Safety always comes first.
Normal autumn and winter weather, however, does not automatically mean solar cannot be installed.
Is Your Roof Suitable for Solar Before Winter?
The season does not determine whether your home is suitable for solar.
Your installer should look at factors including:
- Roof orientation and pitch
- Available roof space
- Shading from trees and neighbouring buildings
- Roof condition
- Your household electricity consumption
- When you typically use electricity
- Whether battery storage would benefit you
And importantly, you do not necessarily need a perfectly south-facing roof.
East and west-facing installations can also work very effectively, particularly when their generation pattern complements when electricity is being used in the home.
The right answer comes from designing the system around the individual property.
Should You Wait for Solar Technology to Get Better?
This is another reason homeowners sometimes delay.
Solar panels and batteries have improved enormously over the years, so it is tempting to think:
“Maybe I’ll wait another year and see what comes out.”
Technology will continue improving, but waiting has a cost too.
If your property is suitable and the numbers make sense today, another year waiting potentially means another year of electricity bills without solar contributing towards them.
The better question is not whether next year’s panels might be slightly different.
It is:
“Would installing solar now make financial sense for my home?”
If the answer is yes, delaying purely in the hope of future technology can mean postponing the point at which your investment starts paying you back.
What If Electricity Prices Change?
Nobody can accurately predict exactly what electricity will cost several years from now.
That uncertainty is actually one of the reasons some homeowners choose solar.
Without solar, your household remains largely exposed to whatever electricity prices are available from suppliers in the future.
With solar, you can generate a proportion of the electricity you consume yourself.
You are not completely removing yourself from the energy market, but you are reducing how much electricity you need to purchase from it.
For homeowners planning to stay in their property for several years, that long-term reduction in grid reliance can be an important part of the investment decision.
Solar Is a Long-Term Investment, Not a Summer Purchase
This is perhaps the most important point.
Solar should not be judged by what it produces during the first few months after installation.
A quality solar PV system is designed to generate electricity for decades.
Over that period it will experience:
- Bright summer days
- Dark winter mornings
- Cloudy Yorkshire afternoons
- Exceptionally sunny years
- Exceptionally wet years
What matters is the long-term annual generation and financial performance of the system.
If the system makes sense over its lifetime, whether it happens to be installed in September, November or March becomes far less important.
Is It Financially Better to Install Before Winter?
There is no universal figure because every property and household is different.
Your potential return depends on factors including the price of the installation, system size, electricity consumption, self-consumption, battery storage, electricity tariffs and export payments.
This is exactly why we believe homeowners should be shown realistic projections based on their property, rather than generic claims about how much solar will save.
For somebody who has already decided solar makes financial sense, however, installing sooner means the system can start generating sooner.
And the sooner it starts generating, the sooner it can begin contributing towards its own payback.
So, Is It Worth Getting Solar Panels Before Winter?
If you are already considering solar, there is very little reason to automatically wait until next summer.
Solar panels still generate electricity during autumn and winter, battery storage can provide additional flexibility, and installing now means your system is ready to take full advantage of increasing daylight as we move towards spring.
The best time to install solar is not necessarily when the weather is at its sunniest.
It is when you have found the right system, the numbers make sense for your property, and you are confident you have chosen an installer who will design it properly.
Waiting for summer does not make your roof more suitable for solar.
It simply means waiting longer before your roof starts generating electricity.
If you are thinking about investing in solar before winter, we can show you what your property could generate, what size system would suit your household, and what the potential savings could look like.
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.