Sunny days, smart export. Getting the most out of your solar this summer.

Long evenings, blue skies, and panels working overtime. Summer is when your solar setup really earns its keep. Between May and August, a typical UK home with solar generates around half its annual output, and on the brightest days you'll often produce far more energy than you can use.

So what happens to all that extra solar energy? On a flat SEG tariff, every kWh you export earns the same fixed rate, which is straightforward but isn't where the real savings are. Next Optimise focuses on the other side of the equation: making sure your battery is full of the cheapest possible energy.

Sometimes that's your own solar. Other times it's wholesale electricity bought for you when prices dip, ready to power your home through the expensive evening peak. Your SEG income keeps ticking over in the background, and the saving comes from what you're not paying to import.

Next Optimise works with your solar panels and home battery to make those decisions for you, automatically, in step with what's happening in the wholesale market that day. Here's how to make the most of it this summer.

Curious what your panels could really be earning this summer? See what Next Optimise could do for your home.

Why summer is different.

Solar generation is uneven across the year. In December, your panels might produce a fraction of what they manage in June. That means summer isn't just a nice bonus, it's the period that does the heavy lifting for your annual savings.

Three things tend to happen at once on a sunny summer's day:

• Your panels generate more than your home is using, especially in the middle of the day.

• Wholesale electricity prices often dip in the early afternoon when solar across the country is at its peak.

• Prices then climb sharply in the early evening when everyone gets home, switches things on, and solar tails off.

That gap between cheap midday prices and expensive evening prices is exactly where Next Optimise goes to work.

How Next Optimise uses your solar.

When your panels are generating more than your home needs, the smart move isn't always to export straight away. Sometimes it's better to store that energy in your battery, then sell it back to the grid later in the day when prices are higher.

Next Optimise looks ahead at wholesale prices in half hourly windows and works out, automatically, what to do with your energy in each one: Charge the battery from solar. Use solar to power the home. Export to the grid. Hold off and wait for a better price. You don't have to think about any of it.

On a good summer day, that can mean charging your battery from your own panels in the morning, running your home off solar through the afternoon, and exporting stored energy back to the grid at the early-evening peak when prices are at their highest.

The difference between exporting at midday and exporting at the evening peak adds up fast over a sunny summer.

See what your setup could be earning.

Making the most of long sunny days.

A few things to keep in mind as you head into the sunnier months:

Run big appliances when the sun's out.

Dishwashers, washing machines, and EV charging are best done in the middle of the day when your panels are generating freely. You're using your own energy rather than buying it back later.

Don't worry about a full battery.

Next Optimise plans the day in advance, working out when wholesale prices will be highest and lowest, and lines your battery up to be full at exactly the right moment to cover the evening peak.

If it fills early on a sunny day, that's the plan working. If it tops up overnight from cheap wholesale prices, same story. You don't need to second-guess what your battery is doing in the middle of the afternoon. The system has already worked out the cheapest way to get you through the most expensive hours.

Trust the automation.

It can feel counterintuitive to watch your battery discharge during the early evening when you might want to "save" it. But that's usually the most valuable window of the day to export, and the system is making that call based on real prices.

What about cloudy days?

Summer in the UK isn't all blue skies. Even on cloudier days, Next Optimise is still working in the background. If your panels generate less than expected, the system can plan ahead and pull cheaper wholesale energy into your battery overnight, ready for use the next day. You're not relying on perfect weather to get value out of your setup.

Why this only works with the right setup.

To get the full benefit, you need solar panels and a compatible home battery already installed, plus a smart meter that supports half hourly readings.

If you've got those three things, Next Optimise can connect your home to wholesale prices and start making decisions on your behalf.

Not sure if your setup's compatible? Check whether Next Optimise works for your home.

Make this summer count.

Solar is a long-term investment, and summer is when that investment pays back the most. With Next Optimise handling the timing for you, the only thing you need to do is enjoy the longer days.

Don't let another summer of solar go to the standard export rate. See what your home could be earning and start making the most of every sunny day.