Do you know that the life of a solar panel can be as long as twenty years? You may be surprised to learn that a lot of solar panels suffer due to a lack of proper maintenance.
As we are in the occupation of cleaning solar panels in Chino and other locations, we have prepared this article. In this article, we have identified the top five tips to make your solar panels last longer.
While you’re at it, you need to ensure that there are no new issues regarding shades, that weren’t there during the installation of the system. being in this profession for a very time, we would never recommend that you cut down a tree. However, you may have to trim them back. Though shades on solar panels do work exponentially, they do not proportionally. That is why it minimizes the output of the panel. That is why, if one-quarter of the panel is shaded, you are not losing only 1/4 of the output for that panel. Rather you are likely to lose more than half. The bottom line is that if the panels can’t do their job, you’re losing money.
Solar panels are so amazing and they function so well that you can hardly feel their existence as there is no room for poor performance when maintained properly. However, there could be some problems. If the systems are surprisingly quiet, rather silent, except for maybe the inverter, and run without you ever needing to touch them, you might end up getting an exorbitant bill at the end of the year. Then it might be your fault. Remember that the cleaner the glass is on the panel, the more unhindered surface the sun has to work with. How frequently you need to clean your solar panels will depend on where you live. When there is too much construction in your locality, if you stay in a windy desert, or if you have too many particulates in your air you will possibly need to clean more often. You may call us for solar cleaning services. Certain areas need weekly washing, while other areas can get away with every alternate month. You need to keep a vigil on your panels and if it seems that they have a dusty film on them, aim the hose towards their direction and let it rip.
Refrain from using an abrasive soap or cleaning sponge. Your primary objective should be to get the glass as clean and clear as possible. That’s why you don’t have to scratch it. Then, a pool skimmer with a soft cloth on the end should reach the extremely high roofs, or a wash rag and some soft biodegradable soap can do the trick. The more frequently you clean, you could even get away with only running the hose over them faster. You may have assumed that there isn’t any accumulated bird poop or caked-on dirt. However, you need to be extremely cautious if you get on the roof, especially because it will be slippery once you begin washing panels the roof, and that hose will pull you off the roof as you dismount. Our experience says homes that usually complained about their meter spinning forward had dirty solar panels. A proper scrub down and that meter started spinning backward. When your meter spins forwards in the middle of the day with the sun brightly shining, it implies that either you have too many appliances on or your panels are not performing their task. When the panels aren’t performing their task, then you’re again losing money.
Instead of doing anything, you only need to keep an eye on them, especially on the inverter display. See whether the green light is on. If yes, then see whether it is flashing. It may not be a good sign. So, consult your manual. While technically you need not have to look at them daily, if there is an issue and the green light goes out, the longer it takes before you observe it the more money you will lose as your panels are no longer covering your electricity usage. Possibilities are that you can’t tell what is wrong with the system. However, you need not worry about it as that is what the warranty is for. Call the experts to sort it out.
If you wish to take it a step further, note down what your system has produced for the day. Mark the days that are quite overcast as those will throw off your results. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is some problem with your system. Maintaining daily accounting will help you determine whether your system is still working. However, it just may not produce what it used to. You don’t have to bother much. Monitoring systems are now available in a wide range of formats to display readings on a panel in your house. You can download data to your desktop or the manufacturer may allow you to configure a website with your solar data. Get in touch with your solar installer for options.
Conclusion
Get in touch with us for solar panel cleaning services in California and other locations. We will suggest ways to maintain your panels so that they can run for a long.