Does Daylight Savings Time Affect Sunlight?

 November 22, 2021

Earlier this month, my home state of Illinois in the US was subjected to another fall time shift, our so called Daylight Savings Time.  The saying is "fall back, spring forward", to help you remember what you need to do to your clocks.  The impact to the human psyche is rather traumatic with this shift of our time devices.  But, be assured that there is no real impact on the overall amount of sun that falls on to the earth, other than what is caused locally by the normal tilt of the earth as it revolves around the sun.  The sun has continued to provide light, heat and power every day, even though our minds may perceive a different amount of sunlight available.

I'm approaching the end of another full year of  maintaining an array of solar panels on my home's roof.  To say maintain is really an overstatement.  I view, daily, the SolarEdge monitor application, and monthly review the results of the solar panel output versus our home's electric consumption.  I really don't do anything to the panel array, inverter, or wiring.

The year 2021 has been a positive solar year.  Solar production has exceeded demand for 8 out of the last 11 months.  This means that for those 8 months, our electric cost has been $ 0.00.  Excess power from the solar system is directed to the grid and generates a credit to our home account.  The credit that has been generated made last month's electric cost also $0.00, even though we consumed more energy from the grid than sent into the grid.  It is possible that next month's bill may also be accommodated via the credit.  Time and sunlight will tell. 

The chart below shows actual kWhour solar production at our home and the consumption of kWhour power. 

As an aside, the months charted above represent billing cycle months, and don't relate exactly to the calendar month.  But close enough.

Solar has been a worthy investment, thus far!