If you want to invest in something, solar panels are a great thing to invest in since you would be able to store your own energy, make money by giving it back to the grid, and then increase the value of your home for the next 25 years. Here is Solar Panel Maintenance: Everything You Need To Know.

How to maintain solar panels?

1. Shade

You have to make sure that your solar panels are out of the shade if you want to take advantage of the efficiency of your panels because if they are under the shade, they would not be able to absorb any of the sunlight where they could have been converting it to usable energy that you could use around your house.

2. Monitor

You have to keep an eye on your system, making sure that the inverters of your system are actually converting and absorbing energy by making sure that it has to flash a green light. 

3. Document

Documenting the performance of your solar panels every day would keep you updated and keep you informed if you are actually receiving the biggest benefit from your system. If you notice that they are inconsistent and the production of energy is going down, that is when you should contact your manufacturer and maintenance to check what the problem might be.

4. Observe

There are some solar panels that come with a monitoring system, which could show you how much you are helping the environment and how much carbon dioxide you are releasing to the atmosphere.

5. Display

There is a display that you could mount on your wall where you would instantly be able to see everything you need to know when it comes to your solar panels. This could help you with the maintenance since there are times where you would forget to bring out your phone or tablet to give you that information, especially if you would get distracted easily. 

6. Automated Cleaners

There are times where you tend to forget when you should check up on and clean your solar panels, but you could not install automated cleaners, working similar to a sprinkler system, so that you would not forget.

Cleaning Tips for Solar Panel Cleaning 

1. Harsh Materials

Solar panels are sensitive, so you could easily scratch and destroy your panels when you use harsh materials on the glass. You have to remember that when you repair solar panels, it tends to cost a lot of money.

2. Cleaning Kits

You can buy solar panel cleaning kits that you can use to clean your solar panels. Inside it would include biodegradable soap, wiper, and a brush with different lengths of handles since it would depend on where your solar panels are.

3. Soap and Sponge

You have to be aware of what kind of soap and sponge you would use when you are cleaning your solar panels. If the sponge you use has a rough texture, then there is a chance that you would scratch the glass, destroying your solar panels and decreasing their efficiency.

4. Wiping

If you noticed that your panels are just moist and wet, you could easily wipe your solar panel with a soft cloth since the dirt would then be easily removed.

5. Daily cleaning

The number of times you have to get your solar panel cleaned would depend on where your solar panel is placed, what type of panel you have, and how big the solar panels are. 

Causes of Solar System Damage 

1. Ground Fault Circuit Interruption (GFCI)

The GFCI is about inverters where the current would somehow find a way to the ground and cause a fault ground alert. The inverter will then do its job and shut down immediately to minimize any damage that may occur.

2. Solar panel

The reason why you might not get the best out of your panels is that your collar panels might be damaged. There is a protective layer on each panel which could last long because it is very sturdy since they could be able to take strong impacts without breaking the tempered glass but damaged panels usually come in unexpected ways so you have to look out for that. 

3. Arc

When there is a discharge of very high power, it could destroy the arc of your solar system and cause a fire, but there is an inverter that would be able to sense if something is about to happen and it would shut down immediately to keep things at bay.

Maintaining your solar panels is incredibly important. There is an option that you could do it on your own, but it is better if you hire a professional to do it to make sure that you are not damaging any of the panels further.