You’ve made your own solar panels and you’ve made sure that they’re set up properly. It’s solar energy so you can just set it and forget it, right?
You could do that if you’re the kind of person that doesn’t care about their hard work. But in ignoring your solar panels you will be losing power.
Cleaning your solar panels is critical to ensuring that they are generating the maximum amount of electricity possible. Over time dust and dirt, and probably a stray bird poop or two, build up on your panels and cause a drop in the amount of sunlight that is able to reach the solar cells.
A good layer of dirt and grime can result in power losses of around 15 to 25%.
So if your DIY solar panels were saving $100 a month, not cleaning them is like losing up to $300 a year. And that’s not even accounting for any other sort of stuff that can be up there.
A leaf or two covering up a couple of the cells in the panels can result in energy losses of anywhere from 50 to 75%! I shouldn’t have to point out that this could be a lot of money.
When it comes to cleaning your panels, large debris can simply be wiped free. To rid the panels of grime and dirt, wipe them down with a cleaner and paper towels. Make sure that the cleaner you choose is non-abrasive.
If you want, you can just hose down your panels from time to time to keep them clean. However you should at least wipe them down as described above once a year.
During your once-a-year thorough cleaning, you should also do some basic maintenance. This is just as important as keeping your solar panels clean.
By taking a little bit of time and doing some easy things, you can prevent small problems from turning into bigger ones. Over time this save you not only time but also a good deal of money.
Cleaning aside, your yearly solar panel maintenance should at least include the following:
- Make sure that the levels of your solar array and load do not exceed the ratings.
- Inspect for broken or burnt wires. Make sure that all the terminal connections are tight and that there aren’t any loose wires.
- Check that there is no water collecting under your solar panel covers.
- Check your charge controller. Make sure that it is securely mounted, functioning properly, and that there is plenty of air flow to it.
Make sure that you keep your solar system clean and in good repair and you can be certain that it will perform to its maximum for a very long time.
