How Can You Make Solar Panels Last Longer?

How to Make Solar Panels Last Longer

You don’t just leave your solar panels and let it do its thing. Well, you can, but if you don’t bother giving time to maintain them, their performance diminishes, and their lifespan decreases. That’s why you have to know how to make your solar panels last longer, with proper care and maintenance.

Here are effective tips you can follow:

1. Keep Your Solar Panels Clean

Solar panels work so well to the point homeowners may not even remember they’re on the roof! While its quiet and power-efficient system is an amazing benefit, this may be the cause of the panels not lasting long. They end up collecting dirt, which would affect the panels’ performance and efficiency.

The cleaner the glasses are on your panels, then the more unobstructed surfaces the sun can provide energy to.

You don’t need to clean out your solar panels every day, though!

The frequency of cleaning depends on where you’re from. If you live in an area with a lot of construction, a windy desert, or in places with lots of air pollution, then you might have to clean it once a week or so. However, some people in “cleaner” areas can clean their panels every other month.

Regardless of where you live, you can’t get away from cleaning out your solar panels, though. Your solar panels will be exposed to dirt, mold, bird droppings, and the like.

That’s why monitoring your solar panels is important (which I’ll get into in the next section).

When cleaning your solar panels, do NOT use abrasive soaps or cleaning sponges. This can scratch the glass, negatively affecting its performance. The aim is for the glass to become as clean and clear as it can be.

Rather, use a pool skimmer with a soft cloth, which can reach really high areas. You may also usea washrag with soft biodegradable soap. Just be careful when on the roof, since there is the risk of slips and falls when dealing with wet glass.

A quick way to clean your solar panels is to open your hose and aim it high up, on full power. This can help remove as much dirt and debris on the glass without having to go up for scrubbing.

If you have no time or can’t clean the roof, you can have professionals do the job for you instead.

2. Don’t Let Them Stay Under the Shade

As you clean out your solar panels, check to see if there are any shade issues that just came up since installing the panels. After all, you want the solar panels to soak as much sunlight for it to work best. That way, you save more on energy bills rather than lose power from a panel that’s shaded from trees or other forms of shade and obstruction.

3. Monitor Your Solar Panels

There’s no need to do anything but to simply keep an eye on your solar panels, especially its inverter display. Is the display’s green light on, or is it flashing? Read your manual so you know the meanings behind the light on the inverter display, so you know if there’s something going on with the way your solar panels perform.

While you won’t be able to know exactly what’s wrong with the solar panels by looking at the display, it’s enough to tell you when you have to call the manufacturer. Chances are, you still have your warranty, so experts can inspect and repair any issues to ensure your solar panels last long and perform well.

4. Track Its Performance Daily

If you’re able to, go one step further from simply monitoring your solar panels and write down the power your system produced for the day. Make sure you do so at the same time daily and take note of days where skies are overcast or raining, so this won’t throw off the results and have you thought there’s something wrong with your panels.

When you have daily accounting, you’ll know if the system is still working well, or if it isn’t producing enough power as it did before.

If journaling it is too much work (we get that you’re busy!), then you can invest in monitoring systems, or even utilize technology on the phone with apps that can have you receive all the data on the way your solar panels are performing. If you have a smartphone, get a smart home app to monitor your electricity usage and switch off lights and appliances while you’re not at home. Furthermore, consider changing out your lightbulbs and appliances at home, choosing those that are energy efficient.

Contact your solar panel installer for any options so this can help lengthen your solar panels’ lifespan while keeping it performing in top shape.

Wrapping It Up

Solar panels will do you good for years to come, but only if you care for them well enough for it to last long. With these tips, you can enjoy years of its benefits, from cheaper energy bills to a healthier planet! So, don’t wait any longer and begin trying these tips to care for your solar panel excellently now.

If you would like to ask questions or share tips on caring for your solar panels, share them in the comments section below, your thoughts are much appreciated.