Solar panels are reliable devices that convert sunlight into an energy source or electricity. The other term for solar panels is photovoltaics, which means "light-electricity" that consists of photovoltaic solar cells in different wattages and voltages.
The lifespan of solar panels may exceed 30 years if maintained properly. You can look for solar panel installation companies that offer maintenance packages and long warranties.
Although they require little maintenance, it's still necessary to conduct annual maintenance. It is to assess and ensure that they are in good working condition to prevent costly repair and replacement.
If you use solar panels at home or at work, you must already have an idea about the proper care and maintenance. If not, below are some helpful tips for you to remember.
Keep Your Solar Panels Always Clean
Generally, solar panel failures happen when there is corrosion or altered electricity production in the wires involving the inverter instead of the panels. Also, solar panels don't require meticulous maintenance, but you have to keep them clean always. You should do a routine solar panel cleaning so the panels can generate more electricity effectively.
Keeping your solar panels unobstructed will lead to more energy production, most especially if you live in a snowy, windy, or a dusty area. You can follow these tips in cleaning your solar panels:
- Don't use abrasive cleaning sponge or cleaning agents, like soap. It is best to use a soft biodegradable soap. Your goal should be to keep the glass clean without causing undue scratches.
- Use a pool skimmer to reach and clean high roofs. Make sure that the end should have a soft cloth.
- If there are no caked dirt and bird poop, dirt can easily get away by running the water hose with gentle pressure over your solar panels.
Managing Your Solar Panel Meter
If your solar panel meter is consistently spinning forward, your solar panels are likely dirty and would require cleaning. It can be resolved by a good scrub down, so your meter will spin backward. The other possible culprit why your solar panel meter is not spinning backward is that you have a lot of appliances. It means that your solar panels may not effectively work even with a brightly shining sun with a lot of appliances simultaneously being used.
Keep Your Solar Panels Out of Shade
While solar panels still work in the shade, they won't produce the maximum amount of energy, which can be problematic later on. There would be less energy capacity because of lower sunlight exposure, which may significantly affect your energy use and comfort.
Here are the common sources of shade on solar panels:
- Trees: Obviously, tall trees become an obstruction, shading your solar array and causing energy production issues. If your home is located in a green space, make sure to attend to growing foliage and trees to avoid encroaching on your solar panel setup.
- Other Panels: Aside from tall trees, other solar panels may obstruct and shade your solar panels, which normally occur in-ground installations. Higher solar panels usually cast shadows or shade lower solar panels in the same system.
- Roof: Roof structures, like dormers and chimneys, can shade your solar panels depending on the angle of the sun and the time of day. That's why using a solar calculator is highly recommended when determining a property's solar potential from the very start, which takes into account local shading.
- Clouds: Clouds can technically block out the bright sun, casting shade to your solar panels. However, it is not a major cause of concern because some sunlight can still pass through the clouds to produce energy. During cloudy days, just make sure to save energy as much as possible because your solar panels may not produce the maximum amount of energy as they used to in a bright sunny sky.
Monitor Your Solar Panels
Using solar panels makes homes more sustainable and homeowners usually don't need to take any tedious cleaning task when maintaining them. Just make sure to keep an eye on your solar panels, most especially on the inverter display.
Here are some tips when monitoring your solar panels:
- If the green light is flashing, there's likely a problem. Check your solar panel manual for further instructions on how to resolve such an issue.
- If the green light of your solar panel system goes out, and your energy use is greatly affected, contact a solar panel expert to solve the problem.
- Always keep a record of the performance of your solar panels every day, such as the voltage or wattage it produced in a day. Note days that are particularly overcast. You can avoid the manual work if you're too busy by investing in a reliable monitoring system, which will display readings on solar panels with downloadable data to a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.
Conclusion
Depending on where you live, some areas would require weekly washing while other areas get away with once a month or every other month. Dust, vegetation, snow, or any obstruction may cut energy production or even halt the production of electricity altogether. That's why keeping your solar panels clean and well-maintained is a must with continuous monitoring and hiring professionals to do the job as needed.
