Most people assume summer is the best time to get solar. More sun, more savings, right? The truth is a bit more nuanced — and industry insiders mostly install their own systems in winter.
Why Winter Is Actually the Sweet Spot
Here's the counterintuitive bit: winter is typically the best time to get your solar installed, even though winter produces the least solar energy.
Shorter Wait Times
Solar demand peaks in spring and early summer, when everyone realises their electricity bills are about to climb again. Installers get overwhelmed with enquiries from September to February. In the quieter winter months (May–August), you can often get booked in within 1–2 weeks, compared to 4–8 weeks during peak season.
Potentially Better Pricing
With lower demand, some installers offer more competitive pricing in winter, or at least are more willing to negotiate. You won't always see explicit discounts, but the leverage is there.
Ready for Spring and Summer
If you install in June or July, your system is up, connected, and generating — with all the paperwork and feed-in tariff applications sorted — before the high-generation months arrive. You won't miss a single day of peak summer output.
What About Year-Round Performance?
Solar panels generate electricity all year — just less of it in winter. A typical 6.6kW system in Sydney might generate 32 kWh/day in December and 18 kWh/day in July. But both months are generating real electricity and saving you real money.
Modern solar panels perform better in cooler temperatures too. Panels are rated at 25°C — on a 40°C summer day, they actually lose a few percent of efficiency due to heat. Winter panels (at 15–20°C) can operate closer to their rated output.
The Practical Advice
Don't let seasonal thinking delay a good decision. The best time to install solar is when you're ready — when you've done your research, chosen a good installer, and have the financing sorted. Delaying by 6 months to "wait for summer" typically costs you 6 months of savings.
That said, if you're currently doing your research in March–April, you're actually in the ideal window — get quotes now, before the spring rush hits and availability tightens. By June you could have a fully operating system.
Want to know what your system would save you right now, regardless of the season? Upload your electricity bill to GridBeater for an estimate based on your actual usage pattern.
See your solar savings estimate → Upload your bill free at GridBeater