10 Key points to keep Solar Panel healthy
We have come across many articles or have, simply, accepted all the benefits derived from the installation of Solar Panels. Whether the gain is to save the environment by cutting down greenhouse gases or to save money on the ever-increasing electricity bills. Solar Panels are the need for the future.
But the mere installation of Solar Panel does not guarantee the above said. It is beyond a doubt that it doesn’t involve much maintenance and even some reliable manufacturers provide 20-25 years of warranty. But how would a household know whether the panel is working accurately? About 1/5th of the customers have no clue about the working of their solar panels. While an unfamiliar problem can chug money out of your pocket, Solar Panel might also produce less energy than the installer told. However, the revamping and re-powering of the plant can be done effectively through the following steps:
1. The Regular Maintenance
Like every other machinery, solar panel also requires maintenance. The trees might have grown, covering a part of solar panel or the winds, bird droppings might have made the panels dirty. If there is a regular supply of rain, the service of cleaning might not be required but the shading parts need to be taken care of as they reduce the output of the panels.
2. The Operation of Inverter
Have no idea about how to detect a problem with the inverter? Check for the lights on the inverter to suspect for the defect. If the inverter shows green light, there is no need for the changes. But if it shows orange or red light, there is a problem. You need to check the error code to know more about the problem. It might be better to call the installer for help.
3. Keep an eye on Energy Production
The solar company provides you with monitoring. It can be either on the digital screen attached or through an online account. It provides you with the graphs and data which can be used for the comparison with the expected or monthly data.
4. Don’t rely on electricity bills
Most of you check the bills to detect the problem with your panel, but this may not be the brightest idea. The bill doesn’t demonstrate the amount of energy produced or used by the household. It only shows the amount of energy transported and consumed from the grid, which might hamper the problem as most of the consumer receives bill quarterly.
5. The Cleaning Technique
Are you one the consumer, who doesn’t know how to clean their solar panels? Well, using nasty soaps and sponge might not be an appropriate scheme. A soft cloth with a soft biodegradable soap will do the trick. For high roofs, pool skimmer would be ideal.
6. The Regular Comparison
The installer provides you with an owner’s manual which furnishes the estimated production for each month. Compare it with the actual production yielded through the digital screen or online account. Keeping regular insights will help you know your solar panel better.
7. Check Your Solar Meter
To check the solar meter is one of the most important things which is often overlooked by the consumers. Your meter tends to cycle through different screens and provides the idea of its effectiveness. If the kilowatts per hour (kWh) displayed is increasing, one should not worry at all.
8. Heat and Direction
Is the direction of solar panels important? If the panels face north, they will produce the maximum while if they were to be placed east or west, the production would reduce by 20%. Furthermore, heat can also hamper the panel efficiency.
9. Install a third-party monitor
Third-Party monitoring will know the expected results of the panel and will notify you if the data falls below the minimum under your warranty period. For the smooth operation of solar panels, it might be necessary.
10. Having an inverter
The inverter helps in converting the Direct Current (DC) electricity to Alternating Current (AC) electricity which helps you to run your home appliances and keep your home operations perfectly balance.