Solar panels are a good long-term investment. Your solar panels can last for 30 years or more, generating clean electricity and helping to reduce your impact on the environment.
You want your solar panels to last as long as possible, and to work as efficiently as they can throughout their lifespan.
That’s where good solar panel maintenance comes in. By taking good care of your solar panels, your solar panels will take good care of you.
Read on as we look at what to do to take care of your solar panels.
Why Maintain Solar Panels?
Before we look at our guide about solar panel maintenance, it’s important to understand why you should properly maintain your solar panels.
As we’ve already mentioned, solar panels can last you for a long time, but not every solar panel will last that long. If they’re not properly looked after, or get damaged, then you may find you need to replace your solar panels much sooner than expected, which will minimize your return on investment.
Properly maintained solar panels will also operate more efficiently, allowing you to generate more electricity so that you’re getting more for your money.
How to Maintain Solar Panels
It’s important to understand that solar panels are complex pieces of technology, and as such, they shouldn’t be tampered with if you’re not a professional. Trying to take your panels apart to maintain them could void your warranty, so leave it to a reputable solar company to perform your solar panel maintenance.
That said, there are some steps you can take to help to keep your solar panels in good working order.
Remove Debris or Dirt
It’s much harder for your solar panels to harness the power of the sun if they’re covered in a layer of grime or scattered with debris. This is a very important part of the process when performing solar panel maintenance.
The easiest way to keep your panels clean without damaging them or putting yourself at risk is to use a hose to wash off any dirt and debris. Since solar panels are designed to withstand heavy rain, gently spraying them with a hose to clean off any dirt shouldn’t cause any harm.
You should never try to clean your panels with anything abrasive, as this could cause serious damage to the panels, and is likely to reduce the amount of solar power you are able to collect.
Remove Any Potential Dangers
Preventative maintenance is much better than reactive solar panel maintenance.
Be on the lookout for any potential issues before they occur. The most obvious are overhanging branches which could cause damage to your solar panels in high winds. Make sure you cut these back before they start to overhang your solar panels.
There may be other types of potential dangers too. Loose flashing on chimneys can easily be blown off in high winds and can cause serious damage to your solar panels. Loose brickwork can also be an issue.
By keeping on top of potential problems such as these, you can nip any problems in the bud before they happen and keep your solar panels in perfect condition.
Monitor Solar Panel Performance
A simple way to keep an eye on the state of your solar panels without even leaving your home is to monitor their performance.
If your solar panels are new, a solar energy calculator will be able to tell you roughly what kind of power you should be getting. If you keep a log of how much power is generated over time, you can quickly and easily see when there is a significant drop. This could indicate an issue with your panels, and you can get a professional to come and have a look.
Look for Damage After Severe Weather
Your panels are most at risk during severe weather. After any major storms or other extreme weather events, give your solar panels a good visual inspection.
If you see any significant damage, don’t try to repair this yourself. You should get a professional to come and have a look and see if the damage can be repaired. It may be the case that you’ll need a solar panel replacement.
As mentioned above, removing any potential hazards near your panels, such as branches, can reduce the risk of damage during severe weather.
Get Your Solar Panels Serviced
Just like your annual physical or your yearly car service, your solar panels should be regularly serviced to ensure that they’re in prime condition.
If you don’t keep your solar panels regularly serviced, then they may not operate at full efficiency and you could see a significant drop in the amount of solar energy that they generate.
A good solar energy company will not only offer installation services but also maintenance services too. By giving your solar panels a regular check-up and fixing any issues that are found, you can be confident that your solar panels will give you good service for many years to come.
Good Solar Panel Maintenance Is Vital
If you follow good solar panel maintenance practices, your solar panels will provide you with clean energy for years to come.
As a homeowner, you can perform some maintenance yourself, as explained above, but to keep your panels in top working order, it’s always wise to get them professionally serviced too. That’s where we can help.
Our professional and experienced crew can help you keep your solar panels properly maintained so that your solar-powered system maintains maximum efficiency throughout its lifetime. We also offer solar panel installation services too.
Schedule a free consultation with us today!