Hello all! I am a daily reader but infrequent poster simply because I can usually learn all I need to know simply by reading along. Until now. ;-)
We are just a few weeks away from having our solar panels fully activated and tied to the grid. We are using Solar City (the panels are leased to us for a fixed $56/month for 20 years), and they estimate that, on an average day, the panels should generate 75% of our average daily usage. When these averages were calculated, though, they were averaging a year's worth of numbers, and because we live in an inland valley of Southern CA, we use a crazy amount of electricity to run the A/C from July-October. (Temperatures regularly top 100 during those months.) Our furnace is gas, so winter heating doesn't affect our electric usage much, if at all. Anyway, I'm thinking that on many days like today, when it's clear and sunny and we need neither heat nor A/C, we may be able to generate 100% of our usage. Just guessing, of course, since I don't know anyone IRL who has panels and/or understands how it all works.
Now my question: I don't think your solar system has any way to store generated electricity. There is no battery or anything like that. Because of that, is it the case that it would be wise to try and use our major appliances while the sun is out and producing electricity for us? Say I ran the washer and the dishwasher after sunset. Would I then be drawing power from the city utility, rather than from the power our panels have produced?
I apologize for the naiivete this question shows. I just figured someone here might know before I dial up the Solar City folks. Thanks!