by EverBright
With summer upon us, higher temperatures often mean rising electricity use. Here’s what you need to know about the relationship between solar production – also known as generation – and consumption and how they might impact your utility bills this summer.
Homes with solar remain connected to the utility’s electric grid. This ensures a continual, reliable flow of power when panels aren’t producing sufficient energy, such as at night, during cloudy weather or when electricity use spikes. Higher utility bills may reflect increased energy use during times like these. Because your solar system is designed around your annual and average monthly usage, it’s normal for electric utility bills to fluctuate.
Even when your solar system is working as expected, using more electricity – or using it when your panels aren’t producing – means relying more on grid power. Drawing energy from the grid will increase your electric utility charges.
If your utility offers net metering – also known as solar buyback – you can send the excess solar energy your system generates during the day back to the electricity grid for credits that can reduce your utility bill. This means that when your panels produce more electricity than your home uses, such as on sunny afternoons while you’re not home, the surplus may result in a credit, helping to offset the energy costs associated with electricity you use from the grid. However, it’s important to understand that these credits may not cover the total cost of your grid energy.
Check with your utility to be sure you are getting the best available rate, and you are enrolled in a solar buyback program where available.
If you have battery storage, your solar system generates and stores excess solar energy produced during the day for use later, such as in the evening or on cloudy days when the sun isn’t shining. This can help reduce reliance on the grid and smooth out differences between production and consumption during high-energy-use seasons like summer.
In the summer, when days are long and there’s generally more sunshine available, your solar system is most likely generating the largest amount of energy. With a Flex PPA, your solar bill is also potentially going to be lowest in the winter and highest in the summer since it is based on the amount of energy your panels produce. By shifting your use of major appliances to during the day, you can maximize the use of that additional power (or send it back to the grid if you have net metering) to reduce your electric utility bill and lower your dependence on grid energy.
As energy demand rises, it can be helpful to better understand how your home uses electricity:
Step 1: Review your solar production information in the MyEverBright app1 alongside your utility bill to compare your solar production with your home’s electricity use.
Step 2: Log in to your utility account to see when you’re using the most energy and consider shifting use to daylight hours when your solar is producing power. For example, run appliances, pre-cool your home or shift EV charging times to earlier in the day. This will help reduce your reliance on grid energy.
Step 3: Look for opportunities to reduce overall energy consumption by adjusting habits such as raising the thermostat when you’re away from home.
Step 4: Schedule routine maintenance of your A/C and pool pump (if you have a pool), to ensure everything is in tip top shape and running efficiently for the summer season.
As summer energy demand increases, it’s normal for utility bills to rise – even for homes with solar. Your solar system was designed to offset your electricity use over the course of the year, not necessarily eliminate your electric utility bill during summer’s high usage period. But there are ways to help reduce your reliance on the grid and your electric utility bills.
1Contracts signed prior to March 2023 may not include monitoring in MyEverBright.
