Path-Q Solar
How should solar be sized for a household whose electricity use changes significantly by season?
Answer
Use a full year's monthly consumption and model production by month, not just annual totals. Size according to the desired annual coverage and bill value while recognizing that solar output and household demand may peak in different seasons.
Key points
- Use representative monthly bills and identify the causes of seasonal changes.
- Model monthly solar production, self-consumption, exports, and grid purchases.
- Include planned seasonal loads such as heating, cooling, pool equipment, or occupancy changes.
- A system that matches annual consumption may still leave substantial seasonal grid use.
What it depends on
- Monthly electricity consumption and its seasonal causes
- Solar orientation, shading, climate, and production profile
- Usage timing and the treatment of exported energy
- Desired coverage, storage plans, and future loads
Risks and trade-offs
- Annual netting can hide winter shortfalls and summer excess generation.
- Sizing for the highest seasonal demand may produce excess output in other months.
- Storage may shift energy across hours but generally does not eliminate seasonal production differences.
Information you may need
- At least a representative year of monthly bills
- Seasonal operating schedules and major loads
- Monthly production estimates for the proposed design
- Rate, export, and storage assumptions
Your next step
What to do next
Request a monthly production-and-consumption model and compare system sizes against your actual seasonal load pattern.
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SQ00251