Ah, winter—such a magical time of the year. However, it can also be ‘magical’ in the wrong sense: when you see the magic happen upon seeing your next electricity bill. Don’t worry, though, because that’s one area where solar energy can help.

How does solar allow you to reduce energy costs during winter? Let’s check out some of the ways below.

Use stored solar power for heating

Household heating has a large impact on utility costs. There’s just no getting around this fact, regardless of how you choose to heat your home and what energy source you’re tapping in the process. Costs can easily go hundreds of dollars, even well into the thousands for the average American household. Even with recent winters being slightly warmer than normal, these costs are still quite significant.

Consider getting a solar power system to backstop your grid-supplied energy and you can significantly save on utility payments come winter. If you’ve got a decent enough solar storage solution on hand, this will help you offset a considerable portion of the energy you will consume for space heating. Just use the stored-up power you have on hand to save big.

Ensure top efficiency during winter months

Did you know that solar panels can still gather energy from the sun’s rays even during the depths of winter? It may be cold, but you’re good as long as the sun is still shining. Your solar panels can still collect sunlight and the system can convert it to energy you can use. The system’s energy production doesn’t stop just because the season has changed and the weather is generally colder and the nights go longer.

However, the efficiency with which the system converts sunlight to power will most likely take a dip during winter. That’s because the nights tend to be longer, so the panels will get less exposure to sunlight. There are ways to help ensure you can still get the best possible efficiency out of your system during winter, though.

Things like ensuring the connections aren’t obstructed or the panels aren’t frozen over will go a long way towards this. Don’t hesitate to consult your solar provider for best practices in maintaining the system during winter. Who knows, you might even get discounts if you’re getting fresh installations for your home during winter, which can be off-peak seasons for many providers.

To sum up, having a reliable solar energy system with a good energy storage solution is the way to go. This is true all year round, but becomes even more useful and cost-efficient for household applications during the winter months, where utility costs tend to go up for a number of reasons.

If you’re looking for a way to save big on utility costs during the colder months of the year, it’s time you gave solar power considerable thought. With solar energy systems being more affordable than ever and the technologies involved continuing to advance, now is the time to invest in this type of renewable energy.