We talk time and time again
about how great going solar is for your wallet, home, and the environment.
Solar panels are incredibly energy efficient and can help save your family a
lot of money for years and years without an issue ever arising.
However, to keep your solar
panels working at their maximum ability, there is a bit of planning and
maintenance you must take on. We’re here to give you some tips that will help
you maximize the potential of your solar panels and make sure you get the most
environmental and economical return on your investment.
Keep Them Clean
We’ve talked about this
before, but keeping your solar panels clean is vital to their efficiency. Remember
to give your panels a quick cleaning on a regular basis, for example, every two
weeks or so. A simple rinse will do just fine most of the time, unless there
has been a recent storm or a dust blow-up where you might need to physically
remove debris from the panels themselves. Every couple of months, do a deeper
cleaning using soap and soft brushes.
This is incredibly important
to keep up with; if anything is covering your solar panels at any time, the
amounts of sunlight the panels can soak up with diminish dramatically. Take
into account the environment in which you live and use that to determine how
often it is necessary to clean your panels.
Proper Panel Placement
Another factor to consider when installing your new
panels is where they’re going to be placed. This is important for homeowners to
discuss with the panel installation company, as proper placement is essential
for maximum performance.
Make sure there are no obstacles that would prevent
sunlight from making it to the panels, like a tree or some other permanent
structure. Keep in mind that the angle of the sun changes throughout the day,
therefore, so will shadows. Even take to pruning back some tree branches if
needed. You won’t even notice the difference, and your panels will soak up the
sun just the way they need to.
Use
Reflection to Your Advantage
Even though you can’t control the amount of sunlight
that radiates from the Sun, you do have the power to control how much of that
energy is soaked up by your solar panels using special techniques, like
reflection. Place a long mirror in the front of your solar panel so it can
reflect the sunlight that hits the ground back onto your panels. Now, even
though you can’t control how much sun is hitting Earth, you CAN control how
much of that sunlight is reaching your solar panels.
Tips: For the most effective results, be sure to use
a mirror that’s twice as long as the height of your panel. Place it so the
angle reflects back onto the panel itself, and make sure to clean the mirror
when you clean your panels.
Tracking
Last, but definitely not least, did you know that there
is a way to get the maximum amount of sunlight all day, no matter what time it
is? You’d think the problem with solar panels would be that they are less
effective at certain times during the day and year when the sun isn’t it’s most
powerful when it’s directly over your home. However, you can actually use
tracking kits that automatically adjust your solar panels to follow the sun
throughout the day. These tracking kits ensure that no matter where the
sunlight is most abundant, your panels will be able to soak it all up.
Not everyone can afford a tracking kit, and that’s
ok. You can manually set your panels at different angles in different seasons.
For example, in the fall and spring, set your panels at an angle equivalent to
the location. Turn the panels 15 degrees down during the summer months, and angle
them 15 degrees up during the winter months.
Just having solar panels on your home doesn’t necessarily
ensure you’ll save as much money and energy as possible. However, with these
tips, you should be getting the biggest bang for your buck, and all while
producing a ton of solar energy. Good luck!