Last month, we noted the energy credits our rooftop solar panels built up in 2018 lasted us throughout the winter of 2018-2019, enabling us to keep our electric bills at minimum levels throughout the year.

Now that spring has sprung, the “new solar year” has also started. Our solar panels are working all day long – when the weather permits! – to replenish our bank of energy credits that will – hopefully – keep our electric bills just as low next winter.

We got the new year off to a good start last month. Our solar panels produced almost 12% more power this April than they did a year ago. We’ve now increased our year-over-year energy production for three consecutive months, after a long dry – well, actually, cloudy – spell in late 2018 and early 2019, when our production declined in five out of six months.

The end result of our improved production was another tiny electric bill, as well as a good-sized deposit into our bank of solar energy credits.

It’s a good thing our production in April was robust, as so far, May is off to a slow start! Our weather has been cool and very rainy over the first half of the month, and the five day forecast is not favorable for a lot of energy production this week.