ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAINTAINING AND SERVICING YOUR SOLAR PANELS
All You Need to Know About Maintaining and Servicing Your Solar Panels
With all the excitement surrounding residential solar power, it is impossible to ignore the fact that installing a PV system can be a highly cost efficient and eco friendly approach to instantly upgrading the value of your property. And while the upfront costs of buying and installing a solar PV system might be hard on your pocket, the good news is that the ongoing maintenance is pretty easy with the servicing costs substantially low. Here is a discussion on the guidelines for cleaning and maintaining your solar PV panels the right way.
Maintaining the solar panel
Since the performance of the solar panels largely depends on the level of their exposure to the sun, it is important to keep the panels clean and free of any dirt, bird droppings or debris that might block the transmission of sunlight to the solar cells. The dustier your area of residence is, the more frequently you should make a cleaning inspection of your panels.
Cleaning is not really an issue in regions that receive regular rainfall that keeps washing away the excess dirt and dust accumulation from the panels. However, if you live in a region that experiences prolonged dry spells, you might want to follow a schedule of regular cleaning to keep your panels efficient. Also, if there is some kind of construction going on in your neighborhood, you must clean your solar panels more frequently to keep them free of dust and sand.
There are a few easy ways in which you can carry out the basic cleaning ritual for your solar panels:
- You can rinse off the dust by using your regular garden hose pipe. Avoid using cold water on hot panels in the middle of the day as it might lead to cracking or chipping of your panels.
- If the panels require deeper cleansing, you can go for a solar panel cleaning kit that comprises two different sized brushes, a wiper and a liquid soap or cleaning solution. You can also employ the use of your regular car cleaning kit for the purpose.
- If your solar panels are installed at an inconvenient height, then you might want to call up professionals for performing the job. There are hundreds of solar panel cleaning companies listed online for you to choose from.
- If you live in a particularly dusty area and your solar power system requires frequent cleaning, you can install automated cleaners that work like regular garden sprinklers and can be easily programmed to follow a specified cleaning schedule.
