Got my electric bill yesterday, and it was stellar. I owed $0.00 and now have $34.67 as a credit. Since my bill for February was $35.65, that pretty much pays me back.
I expect to be banking credit until next fall, so I'm pretty happy. Oh, and the west side (actually somewhat WNW) is starting to show the rockstar status that I was sure would develop once the sun angle got higher. Yesterday was the first day that each western panel produced more energy than any of the east and south panels.
It pays to know your property and stick to your guns even when the "experts" don't like it. The east and south sides have shade challenges, but those are minimal this time of year while the trees are still bare. If you remember, which you probably don't, one company would not consider placing panels on the west side (alright, I finally got him to give a quote showing 3 panels on that side) and another company basically refused to come out to give me a quote even when I pointed out the western side has exactly zero shade. The representative for the company I went with was reluctant about the west side, but to give him credit he did eventually say something to the effect of, "I wouldn't normally suggest west side placement, but in this case, maybe it would work since it has no shade. Your house isn't that far off from true west."
Even in the low sun angle months, when I expected basically zero production on the west side because of house orientation and sun angle, it has always outproduced the east side. Here is the lifetime production that shows were the lowest producing western panel (55.2) is just shy of the highest producing panel on the east side (56.7). The southern panels rule the roost of course.
Yep, I'm pretty happy about this whole thing!
I'll drink to that! Obviously, your observations were right on. You are quite the observer! (And your logic isn't bad either - lol.)
Posted by: Cop Car | March 31, 2023 at 08:39 AM
My rooftop panels face more west than south ffs. By a LOT. And we get A LOT of energy from them!
Posted by: Ruth | April 06, 2023 at 08:33 AM