Maximize Your Solar Credits: September Is Your Peak Power Month
If your solar energy system Connection Agreement with PG&E was signed in 2024, your Power Hours fall in September—the time when the value of the electricity you export to the grid is at its highest all year. By sending power from your battery back to the grid between 8 PM and 10 PM, you can maximize your credits and offset future electricity costs more effectively.
If you purchased your solar energy system in 2025, your Power Hours were in August.
With stored solar energy ready to go, now is the perfect time to let your system work harder for you:
- Export extra power during peak hours. Push electricity back to the grid when it’s most valuable to earn the highest credit rates.
Other Tips to Maximize Usage
- Use major appliances during the day. When your panels produce more energy than you need, running washers, dryers, and dishwashers helps you make the most of your solar production.
- Shift flexible usage to off-peak times. Charging your EV or running non-essential appliances outside of Power Hours ensures you keep your high-value credits intact.
By making these small adjustments this month, you can maximize your solar credits, reduce your electricity bills, and help your system pay for itself faster. It’s a smart, simple way to get the most out of your solar investment.
The Bottom Line
Every kilowatt you send to the grid in September can be worth significantly more than the same kilowatt in other months. With NEM 3.0’s hour-by-hour pricing, smart energy habits can add up to hundreds in savings each year.
Clean Solar can help you optimize your system settings so you’re always ahead of the rate changes. Let’s make sure you’re getting every penny your solar system can earn.
For Powerwall owners, the Tesla app provides you with that capability in just a few easy steps. The Franklin aPower and SolarEdge Energy Bank 10 apps offer the same capabilities.
First, you must be on a NEM 3 rate plan.
#1. Go to your settings
#2: Select Powerwall
#3: Select Everything under Energy Exports
#4: Select Yes under Permission to Export
Conclusion
As the season changes, so should your solar strategy. While September is all about maximizing export credits, October is the time to shift your focus to self-powering your home and avoiding costly peak rates. The good news is, managing these changes is simple—whether you’re using the Tesla app, the Franklin aPower 2 app, or the SolarEdge Energy Bank 10 app. All three give you similar control over your system’s charge, discharge, and backup reserve settings, so you can quickly adapt to seasonal rate changes and keep your savings steady year-round.
No matter which battery you own, the process is straightforward—open your app, review your settings, and make seasonal adjustments so your solar investment works its hardest for you year-round.