Investing in solar energy is an excellent idea with many benefits. It cuts your energy costs and helps preserve the environment. However, there are things to remember when installing and using solar energy to maximize efficiency and reduce energy costs. These include investing in quality solar panels, strategically installing them to ensure maximum absorption of sun rays, and regularly maintaining your solar system to keep it functional and provide long-term service.

Maintenance of the solar system entails periodic cleaning and repairs throughout its lifespan. Regular cleaning is essential because of the debris and dust accumulating on your solar panels and inhibiting their performance. Harsh weather can also impair your solar panels’ performance over time. You could need a professional to check on your system occasionally to ensure it performs at its best. If they find an issue, it can be repaired before it escalates to affect other parts or the entire system.

You should learn enough about solar cleaning and maintenance from a solar panel expert. Here is what you need to know to keep your panels generating energy efficiently for years:

The Benefits of Solar Maintenance

Installing a solar system in your home or business premises reduces the cost of energy, increases your property value, and contributes to environmental sustainability. Solar energy is a renewable source of energy that reduces carbon emissions to the environment and human reliance on fossil fuels. Solar panels also require low maintenance and can generate energy in any climate, though you could experience reduced production in cold climates.

However, you must take good care of your solar panels after installation to produce sufficient energy for long-term service. Generally, a solar system requires regular maintenance and periodic cleaning throughout its lifetime. Remember that you install solar panels on the rooftop, exposing them to all kinds of elements, including debris and dust. When solar panels accumulate these elements over time, their ability to receive sun rays affects the energy you generate. Periodic cleaning removes dust and debris from the solar panels for maximum absorption of sun rays.

Additionally, a solar system is an expensive investment. Although it saves you a lot of money in the long run, you must invest a good amount to buy quality solar panels and pay for the installation service. This investment should serve you well for years, providing adequate energy for your home or business. Proper maintenance keeps your solar system efficient and reliable over its lifetime. It keeps you enjoying the benefits of solar energy for years without investing more money to change or repair the system.

Thus, it is necessary to understand how and when to clean and maintain your solar system after installation. It also helps to know if you can clean and maintain your solar system or need to hire a professional. While the rain can clean out some of the debris or dust from your solar panels, it is not enough to ensure optimal performance. Solar panel experts recommend having your panels professionally cleaned every one or two years. The actual duration will depend on the condition of your panels.

For example, if your solar panels are close to trees or have a lot of bird activity around them, you need to clean them more frequently. Additionally, have a professional inspect your system every four or five years to ensure it is as functional as initially. This will give you peace of mind as you rely on the panels for energy. Do not wait until you start experiencing issues or low productivity with your solar system to call for repair and maintenance. Regular cleaning and maintenance will save you from paying more money for repairs and replacements.

Proper Installation and Placement of Solar Panels

How you install and place your solar panels is a key factor in the repair and maintenance they will need over the years. Working closely with a solar panel expert is recommended for proper advice and quality installation. An expert will advise against installing solar panels in the shadows of trees or close to roosting birds. Trees and bird activities cause debris accumulation on your solar panels, inhibiting adequate absorption of sunlight, which is essential for maximum solar energy production. Trees are also a great attraction for birds. Birds will constantly fly over your panels to land on trees.

After choosing the perfect location for your solar panels, have an expert install them. Although you can install solar panels by following the installation instructions provided by the manufacturer, an expert will do a better job. You could make mistakes affecting your solar panel’s efficiency and longevity. Here are some of the errors an expert can help you avoid:

  • You can avoid improper anchorage of your solar panels to the roof during installation, which could leave the panels insecurely attached.

  • You can avoid making mistakes when wiring your panels to the inverter, resulting in exposed cables, incorrect grounding, or live wiring. Although solar panels usually include junction boxes, wiring them to an inverter requires the expertise of a certified installer.

  • You can avoid installing the support legs too low on your solar panels, at an angle that can cause wind load stress. This is a mistake that will affect your panels’ efficiency and longevity.

Thus, how you install your solar panels is critical in determining their maintenance needs over the years. A poor installation will result in higher maintenance needs. It can even be dangerous to you and everyone who depends on that particular system.

The Importance of Bird Netting for a Solar System

Birds can create a big problem for your solar panels. They scratch your solar panels’ surface and damage the wiring. They affect your system’s efficiency by blocking sunlight from reaching the panels with their droppings. Birds also create hazards for your system by building nests around them, which block ventilation, attract other pests, and increase fire risk. To prevent these and many other problems, you should install netting, bird barriers, or bird deterrent kits around your solar panels.

After installing your solar panels, a skilled expert will advise you to install a mesh, wire strips, or netting to stop birds from accessing the underside of your panels. The meshing can also prevent environmental hazards, like tree twigs and leaves, from accumulating around the panels.

Bird netting is necessary because birds are generally attracted to solar panels. The gap between your solar panels and the roof creates a perfect space for birds to roost and nest. This place is usually shaded and secluded, which keeps the birds safe from predators while at the same time shielding their nests from harsh weather like strong wind, extreme temperature, and rain.

Solar panels also provide warmth for the birds, especially during the cold seasons. Panels absorb sunlight to generate electricity and heat as a byproduct. The warmth makes the area below your solar panels hospitable for birds. Also, debris like leaves and twigs that gather around your solar panels are perfect bird nesting materials. They often settle where nesting materials and ideal spaces are readily available.

Netting around your solar panels protects your panels and wires from damage, increases your panels’ efficiency, and helps you avoid other problems, like overheating and fire risks, that could occur when birds settle around your panels.

Keeping Your Solar Panels Clean

Some people prefer to clean their solar panels, especially accessible ones mounted on the ground. However, this is not advisable, especially if you lack proper training and the right equipment for the job. Some cleaning products and techniques can easily damage solar panels. You can slowly damage them and reduce their efficiency and longevity over time. For example, a high-pressure washer, which will likely remove all debris and dust from your panels, can result in water ingress. This problem can degrade your solar components, reduce your panels’ efficiency and lifespan, and increase the risk of electrical hazards.

Instead of cleaning your panels and risking damaging them, you should hire a solar panel expert to clean them. They will use the right techniques and products and ensure proper access to all areas that require cleaning to keep your panels efficient for years. A solar panel expert is well-trained in installing, cleaning, and maintaining different types of solar systems.

How Extreme Weather Affects Your Solar Panels

All areas across the globe experience extreme weather one or several times a year. Extreme weather will likely affect your solar panels by reducing their efficiency and longevity. Although solar panels today can generate energy in any weather condition, the effect of extreme weather on the system in general should not be ignored. However, this should not stop you from investing in safe, affordable, and efficient solar energy. Understanding how extreme weather affects your panels helps you make better decisions during installation. You can take precautions to reduce damage and prevent inefficiency in the long run.

Rain is generally good for your solar panels because it washes off any dust and debris that accumulate on them. It helps keep your panels clean and can improve their efficiency for a particular period. However, prolonged rainy and cloudy periods can affect your solar system’s output.

Although solar panels can generate energy even in cold seasons, snow will affect their output. Snow buildup on your panels blocks the sunlight from reaching the panels. You will likely develop low energy during these periods. Extreme cold temperatures can also reduce your solar panel’s performance if they linger on for a long time.

Generally, solar panels function best at cooler temperatures. Extreme heat affects their effectiveness and increases their aging process. Too much exposure to high temperatures will likely reduce your panel’s lifespan. When it is extremely cold, the sun barely produces enough energy for your consumption. However, the cold does not affect the physical component of your system.

When the winds are strong, like during storms, your solar panels can be damaged. Some panels could break, and the racking systems could be damaged. This will require immediate repair and probably replacing some components, which can be very expensive. It can also affect how your panels generate energy, resulting in low output. Hail also damages solar panels and racking systems. If your panels have glass covers, you could experience a complete failure or reduced performance whenever there is hail.

Although you can generate solar energy on cloudy days, the output is usually lower than on sunny days. The density of the cloud cover will determine the amount of sunlight reaching your solar panels. A solar panel expert will advise investing in quality solar batteries to save excess energy during low production.

Some severe weather conditions can have a cumulative and long-term impact on solar panels and their performance. This can reduce your energy production over a considerable time. However, cleaning and proper maintenance can reduce this impact if they are done regularly. Depending on the type and location, a solar panel expert can tell you how frequently you should have your panels cleaned and maintained. Although professional cleaning and maintenance are more expensive than doing it yourself, they will save you a lot in the long run. It could increase your solar panel’s efficiency and longevity.

Find a Competent Solar Panel Expert Near Me

If you are considering investing in a solar system in the Bay Area or Northern California, you need adequate information to know the kind of solar panels to buy and how to install, repair, and maintain them for increased efficiency and long-term service. Maintenance and cleaning are critical after installation to remove any debris and dust that could lower your energy output and address any issues affecting your system’s performance.

At Sun Solar Electric, we have solar panel experts who are ready to walk this journey with you. We can help you select the best solar panels, installation, and regular cleaning and maintenance. With our assistance, you can enjoy a long time of service with your solar panels and high energy output throughout their lifespan. Call us at 707-658-2157 for more information about solar maintenance and our service.