Making the switch to solar panels to provide electricity for your home or business is a great way to "go green" while also saving money on electricity costs over the long term. But if you want your solar panels to actually operate efficiently and provide you with the most long-term savings possible, you'll need to keep an eye on the panels to make sure they are doing their job correctly. Here are some tips to keep in mind after installing a new solar panel system in order to ensure that everything is operating as it should be.
A Dirty Panel Is a Panel That Can't Collect Energy
Solar panels work by allowing the sun to beam down onto them. But if you haven't cleaned your solar panels in a long time, your system might not be running at maximum efficiency. A dirty solar panel will have less available sun to "catch" those incoming rays from the sun. What's worse is that most homeowners don't even realize or notice this because it's not like the solar panel will start making a weird noise all of a sudden. Even a dirty panel is still a quiet panel. This means you will need to actually walk out to where your installation is and visually inspect the panels for signs of dirt or debris. Clean things up and watch your system's output increase as soon as the next day.
Watch for Growing Trees and Other Obstructions Over Time
Hopefully you installed your solar panel system in a location where the sun can beam down directly onto the panels for as long as possible each day. But if you have young trees on your property or if the business next door starts constructing a new building, you might have to watch the angles. Anything that obstructs your panel's line of sight to the incoming sunlight is going to cause a problem and likely reduce your input. Cut down that tree if you can or consider moving your entire installation (with professional help) if needed.
You Can Monitor the Output for Signs of Trouble
Most solar panel systems will come with monitoring software that will allow you to see exactly how much energy you have coming through your system each day. If you begin to keep track of this on a daily basis, you will be able to notice if something is not as it should be. To be clear, a day filled with thunderstorms and cloudy skies will obviously have lower output, but if a sunny day has lower than expected output, there might be something else going on that needs checked.
Contact a solar panel company like Kayo Energy today to discuss a new installation or to obtain more tips and best practices for your current system.
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