If you have solar on your home, you’ll eventually become familiar with the natural ebbs and flows of your system’s production throughout the year. The sunny spring and summer months will produce more electricity. This is when your utility bill reflects the greatest benefit from solar, with some folks owing nothing but the connection fee. This is also when you bank the bulk of your net metered credits which are then used up in the darker winter months that have fewer sunny hours, so less production. 

Anytime your energy usage exceeds your production, grid power will make up the difference and you’ll have to pay your utility for that power. 

We try to design systems that are sized to offset the amount of energy you use in an entire year, so ideally, you never run out of net metered credits. But here’s the thing– not everyone has enough roof space or a sunny enough spot for a system that covers 100% of their annual electricity needs. Plus, our estimates are based on twelve months of utility data. A snapshot in time that shows what you used in one year, but that doesn’t account for fluctuations in your energy consumption. For example, some years we use more air conditioning due to a heat wave. Or maybe your partner moved in with you. Maybe you got a hot tub or added an electric vehicle charger. All of these changes will drive your usage up. Your solar system doesn’t magically grow along with those changes. The size of your system is fixed – the amount of electricity you consume is variable. 

The combination of low solar production from shorter days and increased consumption driven by cold weather is what we call the winter pinch— and it’s definitely pinching this year. 

Think of it this way:

Less sunshine = less production

Colder temps = increased usage

Combined = possibility of using all net metered credits and owing a utility bill

This dynamic is especially noticeable when we’re experiencing extended periods of below-freezing temperatures and heavier snowfall than usual. It can lead new solar owners to believe there’s something wrong with their system, and we get it – it sucks to get a bill from the utility when you’re used to having your electric costs covered by solar. But getting a utility bill when you haven’t owed anything in months doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with your system, especially if that bill comes in the dead of winter when your net metered credits are running low. 

The good news is seasonal fluctuations in your production are already factored into your overall production totals and bill savings calculations. So your annual bill savings and production guarantee should still be accurate, even though it can feel different from month to month and throughout the different seasons. 

Winter is what winter is. It’s cold. It’s dark. It affects your mood and it affects your wallet. Fortunately, it’s temporary! We’re almost halfway through, and the sun is already shining a little bit longer each day. Spring is just around the corner and you’ll be back to building up your credits in no time.