How to Keep Your Solar Panels Around for the Long Haul

Oftentimes, people are so used to their quiet, easy-to-take-care-of solar panels that they completely forget they’re even there. The problem with this is that they also forget to do basic things to them to keep them around and generating power at their maximum efficiency. While it’s true that it doesn’t take a lot to keep your solar panels up and running, it’s also true that you’ll still want to keep doing basic care on them to make sure they are around for the absolute longest they can be, and that they keep producing at their maximum efficiency that entire time.

Wash Your Panels

The number one thing you need to be doing is keeping your panels washed and free of debris. If debris like leaves and dirt builds up, it will decrease how much energy your panels are generating. It could also lower their life span if not taken care of in a timely manner. Luckily, cleaning them is fairly easy, and you won’t have to do it a whole lot. For example, if you live in a windy area near the ocean, you’ll want to do it as often as possible, as the wind will cause dirt and sea salt to overpower your panels.

Luckily, panels are very easy to wash down. You won’t be using any serious cleaning products. All you’ll need is a rag on a stick that reaches up high enough to clean it off, some biodegradable soap, and a hose. Use the rag and soap to clean up harder to remove stuff like dirt and bird feces, and then use the hose to clean it off. If all you have is some dusty panels, you can probably just hose them down really quickly.

If you can, avoid actually getting on the roof to clean it. Especially when using items like a hose, which will make your roof even more slippery. If you do need to get up there, make sure you wear a hard hat and a harness.

Avoid the Shade

Another huge problem people have when it comes to maintaining the lifespan of their panels is new shade appearing where it wasn’t there before. If a tree sprouted up that wasn’t there when your panels went up, it may be causing shade on your panels that are decreasing their effectiveness and could also result in panel failure. Trimming back any trees covering your panels is a good idea. If it’s your neighbor’s tree, politely explain the situation to them.

Keep Yourself Informed on Your Panel’s Performance

Another key ingredient to a long panel lifespan is in you making sure they’re performing how they should be. Keeping a watchful eye on exactly how much energy you’re generating and noting any dramatic changes could make the difference between properly powering your home or not. If you see anything wrong with your inverter or panels, you should pull out your warranty and call someone immediately to get it fixed. Shrugging it off and continuing on with your day might result in your damaged panels getting worse and your warranty becoming void since you didn’t bring up the issue in a timely enough manner to fix a minor problem. Remember that if a part of one panel is damaged, it could be affecting your entire system.

Want to learn more about taking care of your solar panels? Check out the HahaSmart blog!

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