When to Run Your Dishwasher, Washing Machine and Hot Water With Solar

When do my panels make the most power?

Output rises from mid-morning, peaks around the middle of the day and falls through the afternoon. North-facing systems peak near midday. East-facing panels do best in the morning and west-facing panels in the afternoon. Your inverter app shows your own curve; check a few sunny days and you will see your best window.

Which appliances are worth moving?

The ones that use the most power in one go:

• Hot water. Often the biggest single load in a home. Electric storage systems and heat pumps can usually be set on a timer to heat in the middle of the day. Ask your electrician whether your setup allows it.
• Pool pump. Runs for hours. Set the timer for daylight hours.
• Washing machine and dryer. Use delay start so the cycle finishes before the afternoon drop-off.
• Dishwasher. Most have a delay-start button. Load it after breakfast and set it to run at midday.
• Air conditioning. Pre-cooling or pre-heating the house in the afternoon on solar can reduce running it at peak times in the evening.
• EV charging. If the car is home in the day, charge it then.

Should I run everything at once?

No. Stagger big loads. If the dishwasher, dryer and air conditioner all run together, they may need more than your panels are making and the difference comes from the grid. One after another keeps more of the load on solar.

What if nobody is home in the day?

Timers and delay-start do the work. Set them in the morning before you leave. Many newer appliances and hot water systems can also be controlled from a phone app. If you are out all day, read our guide on solar for homes that are empty during the day.

How does a time-of-use plan change things?

On time-of-use pricing, evening power costs the most. Moving loads into solar hours saves the most when it moves them out of the peak. Check your bill for your plan's peak hours.

A real example

We installed 12 kW of Trina panels with a 33 kWh GoodWe battery in Athol Park. With a system that size, the middle of the day has power to spare: running the washing machine and dishwasher then uses the panels directly, and the battery is left to cover the evening.

The simple rule

If it can wait, run it in the middle of the day. Set the timers once and your solar does more of the work every day.