I was pretty excited today to get my electric bill.
No, I’m not usually excited to get bills in the mail, but this one was different. This will be the first electric bill with a FULL MONTH of solar production on it.
Last month’s bill, which included about two weeks worth of solar power, was substantially lower than the previous month, but I still had no idea how much savings I would earn.
So, my electric bill was…. (drum-roll please……)
NEGATIVE $40.54!
The power company owes me!
Two months ago, my electric bill was over $90. This month, it’s negative $40! I’m liking this!
Of course, solar production will be less in the winter, so I can’t expect these types of numbers every month. Still, I planned the system so that it would average out over the year to produce right around the same amount of power which we consume. On average, we will have NET ZERO electrical energy use!
Since I now have a full month of solar data, I can also start comparing the real-world numbers against my original estimates. I pulled up my original PV Watts estimate and compared it to how much I actually produced. Production was 5% ABOVE the estimate! I love that I’m above the estimate, but also glad to see I’m not too far off. Estimates are only really handy if they are at least close!
We’ll see what next month brings, but for now, I’d say that solar is off to a GREAT start!
That’s money in my pocket, and coal left in the ground!
Until next time, stay charged up!
-Ben
