Solar Panel Maintenance, Cleaning, and Care Tips
Solar panels are built to last for 25 to 30 years. If you look after them, that is. One of the biggest benefits of solar energy is how low-maintenance solar panels are.
It takes barely any effort for homeowners to maintain their solar panels adequately. Want to know more? Keep reading for the ins and outs of solar panel maintenance.
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Maintain a Regular Solar Panel Cleaning Schedule
Solar panels don’t need to be cleaned often, but to keep your panels in tip-top shape, you should stick to a schedule. Keeping your solar panels clean is not only important for extending operational life. Clean solar panels also work much better.
When dust and debris accumulate on the panels, it results in energy losses. Rain should help to keep the solar panel’s dust free but they still require a thorough cleaning at least twice a year.
Solar panels are so low-maintenance why wouldn’t homeowners want them? Check out this link if you’re interested in going solar.
How to Clean Solar Panels
So, you know you need a cleaning schedule of at least every six months. But how do you clean your solar panels?
There are all sorts of nifty robotics technologies that big companies and solar farms use to clean their panels. However, for your home solar panels, a soap-less brush and sponge will do just fine.
Soap leaves a residue on solar panels. With your garden hose and a soft sponge, you can adequately clean solar panels.
Consider Where You Live
Solar panel care depends a lot on where you live. Your location might require you to maintain your solar panels more often than normal.
If you live in a very dusty area, for example, you should use a hose to spray your solar panels regularly.
To determine whether this is necessary, visually inspect your solar panels often to see when they require a cleaning. Then, you can create a schedule based on this.
Don’t Remove Snow
You may think that maintenance on solar panels includes shoveling off the snow when it piles up. It doesn’t, and you should avoid doing this.
You need proper equipment and training to do this and can damage the solar panels if you attempt it by yourself.
In any case, it’s not necessary. Solar panels are installed at an angle facing the sun, so snow will melt and slide off after a few hours. If the snow buildup won’t budge, you should call the experts as the damage you may cause can be very costly.
Good Solar Panel Maintenance for Extended Lifespan
If you want to get the most out of your solar energy system then proper solar panel maintenance is important. The panels require such a little amount of work that there’s no excuse to not get the job done!
Are you a tech-savvy homeowner looking for more tips and tricks? Our site is packed with informative content. Keep exploring for more articles!
Last Updated on July 31, 2022
