As one of the most accessible forms of renewable energy on the market today, solar panels have become a popular and relatively affordable option for people looking for an eco-friendly solution. But whether you have residential solar panels, commercial solar panels, RV solar panels, or all three, getting the most out of your investment takes a little bit of research and solar panel maintenance. That’s why we’ve put together our top tips for how to make your solar panels efficient and effective throughout their lifetime.
Before you look up “solar panels for sale,” you should consider where you’ll do your solar panel installation. When it comes to solar panels for home (or work), shade can dramatically affect your solar panel’s efficiency. Your solar panels need sunlight to work effectively, so ensuring that nearby trees or house structures like chimneys and vents aren’t obstructing your solar panels can make a big difference.
More importantly, even a small amount of shade can affect your solar panel’s output. Because each panel has groupings of cells wired together, even a little bit of shade on your solar panels can reduce energy conversion for the entire panel.
You should also consider orientation before installing your solar panel kits. Getting the maximum amount of sun each day means maximum energy output, so positioning your solar panels to face south or west can give you optimal sunlight.
There are multiple factors when it comes to choosing whether to install your solar panels to face south or west, but what it mainly comes down to differing seasons and timeframes. The traditional advice is to install them facing south since solar panels in the Northern Hemisphere get the most direct sunlight in a south-facing position.
However, installing west-facing solar panels can benefit homeowners in different ways. By facing west, residential solar panels and commercial solar panels capture optimal sunlight during the afternoon hours. This is also when the demand for energy is greatest, so solar panel owners can benefit from producing valuable energy and getting compensated for it within incentive systems.
No solar panel is immune to weather, dust, and debris, so providing upkeep is important when it comes to calculating your solar panel cost. Many people think about do-it-yourself options when planning their solar panel maintenance cost, but this can result in several risks to both the owner and their panels. Consider how dangerous it can be it to routinely get on your roof to clean your solar panels—or even how easy it is to damage and void your solar panel’s warranty with a simple mistake.
Going the professional route with solar panel maintenance is the best choice for many solar panel owners. With its automated solar panel cleaning system, RST CleanTech Solutions has one of the easiest and most efficient options in solar panel maintenance. Using filtering technologies and advanced water engineering, this cost-effective system minimizes the energy loss your solar panels get from soiling while helping them produce up to 30% more energy.
While you still may be weighing your options and researching “how do solar panels work” or “how much do solar panels cost,” it’s good to be aware of how to make your solar panels more efficient when figuring out solar panel installation and solar panel maintenance. And though upkeep is different for every system of solar panels, RST CleanTech Solutions can provide you with a safer, greener, and easier way to maximize the energy production of your solar panels.
