When is the best time to start a solar project?

[HighDesertOffgrid]

Mine came online Dec 15, 2023. I was trying to make the end of year for taxes, but also had to finish before holiday travel.

Were you prepared for the low production or disappointed?

 

[EnergizerNate]

Were you prepared for the low production or disappointed?

I was prepared. My tilt is only 10 deg on a ground mount with a little shading when the winter sun is very low over the tree line. I am anxious to see what my max might be, but I've hit nearly 12 kW on my 16 kW array when I get a clear day in Jan, I think it will work very well in the summer.

 

[OffGridForGood]

Better to add PV during the Fall, as your existing system starts getting less and less each day - Bam! you add another array and get all that additional energy for awhile. You can be dissapointed later as Nov-Dec roll in...and plan the Next PV expansion!

 

[Brucey]

December for us, we are in the cool(ish) dry season so every day is a "work on the solar" day

I was lucky with my lady, started her off with a small system (4 x 300W panels and a couple of cheap micro-inverters).

Madam immediately spotted the potential for reducing our power bill (OK I showed her our conventional meter going backwards).

We are now at 10.6kWp of grid-tie hybrid with 10kWh of storage, plans for another 2.6kWp of panels and 20kWh of storage.

Solar is an addiction!

For our other addiction we have Madam's "pot plants"

Using solar for the grow lights?

 

[Firstrapid]

When Signature Solar stops charging sales tax for Colorado shipments!

 

[B-Mod]

Better to add PV during the Fall, as your existing system starts getting less and less each day - Bam! you add another array and get all that additional energy for awhile. You can be dissapointed later as Nov-Dec roll in...and plan the Next PV expansion!

So true, done this 2 years in a row, and now will be a third coming up this year.

 

[TommySr]

When your neighbor finally cuts down that big $#@% oak tree.

 

[Mattb4]

I do my best work in the morning. Once the coffee kicks in and the walk has been completed. When young I would then work until collapse, or project was completed, but now I try to pace myself a bit more.

So the best time to start is just about daybreak. Of course getting in all the pieces parts for a project means waiting for the last item (being shipped from China on a slow sailing boat traveling around the world avoiding pirates and storms) before any work commences. So the best time to start is 3 months from the date of order.

 

[Arlene303]

Now in case of supply chain issues. 13 years ago our batteries came in first, and then there was a long lag for our solar panels because we had to build 2 huge steel pedestals, so we had to charge the batteries with generator before we had solar panels hooked up, yuck.

 

[houseofancients]

The best time to start a new project is always yesterday

 

[grebaba]

Never, because once you start with this crap it is a never ending upgrade.

 

[PunchySunshine]

We started collecting parts in August, then building in October of '22 and had it commissioned by December 1st. It was nice getting the tax break and also seeing the worst production time of year as the start helped with our real world expectations. Ten months of the year there is plenty, Dec/Jan is slim but enough. We just finished up our first year and we produced 5 megawatts with our 4 kW ground array.

 

[Supervstech]

Heyy, little debate! When's the prime time to launch your solar project? My vote's early spring – Rome (or a solar system) wasn't built in a day.. Gotta give yourself a few months to get ready for the summer rays!

What's your take?

Spring?

"April showers..."

 

[SignatureSolarJess]

Spring?

"April showers..."

Late winter/early spring, just when it's not raining

 

[OffGridForGood]

So true, done this 2 years in a row, and now will be a third coming up this year.

Me Too!
I have to expand the PV to get caught up the ESS and Inverters I added last year
Oh the solar addicition cycle - add solar, add new loads, back to adding more solar so I can add even more new loads.
Loving it.

 

[BlindBadger]

Definitely “as soon as you can afford to”. My wife is all in on doing whatever it takes to reduce or remove reliance on the grid (“fight the power”) so we’re starting our first small install this year and going heavier in batteries than solar due to the TOU rates coming to our utility. Won’t be long before house and shop are both covered in panel though.