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How to Get the Most out of Your Solar Panel System

Anastasia KravchukJuly 19, 2017 1756 1

If you have a home solar panel system you are probably well on your way to saving money on your electric bills. Though saving money with solar is as easy as a walk in the park, how much money you save can be influenced by a variety of outside factors. Here are a few things you can do to optimize your solar panel perfomance and to get the most out of your financial investment.

Keep your solar panels clean

When it comes to solar panels, dirt actually does hurt. Whether through dust, debris, bird droppings, or excessive pollution, dirty panels can experience an energy loss of around 10%. While in the winter, the occasional rain will take care of the dust collected on your solar panels, you should hose down your panels at least once during an extensive dry period. If water alone is not enough, you may want to wipe down the panels with a non-abrasive sponge or cloth as well.

Monitor your system

Monitoring your system has several benefits. First, you can keep an eye on the preformance of your solar panels; if production drops, you will know right away that something is wrong and maintenance is required.  Modern solar monitoring technology allows you to easily view the minute-by-minute information gathered about the performance of your system online, via a mounted display, or through a phone app.  In the unlikely event of a faulty panel or wire, you will be able to pinpoint the source of the issue and quickly resolve the problem.  Solar monitoring also provides you with an easy way to track how much money your solar system is saving you in energy costs.

Ensure your solar panels are facing the right way

Whether your panels are installed with the optimum South or West orientation, or if your panels are unconventionally facing East or North, making slight adjustments throughout the year may allow you to generate more electricity than you do right now. Here are some basic guidelines for those who live in the northern hemisphere:

  • February – Tilt the panel at the same angle as your location’s latitude. If you’re at 50° latitude, tilt your panels to 50°.
  • May – Reduce your panels’ tilt by 15°.
  • August – Same tilt angle as February.
  • November – Add 15° to your tilt.

Of course, there are more precise mathematical equations used to accurately position solar panels based on where you live, but these are a good start.

Reduce your energy usage

This may seem like a no-brainer, but this is absolutely the best way to maximize the financial benefits of your solar panel system.  Many people stop being frugal with their energy use when they start using the “free” electricity from a home solar system.  Keep in mind that if you are using more electricity than your system is producing, you have to buy power from your utility grid.  Usually, home solar systems are sized to cover about 75% of your annual electricity needs, so the less power you are using, the more you can rely on the free power from your solar system and not the grid.  It may also be worth looking into adding more solar panels to your system to eliminate your reliance on the utility entirely. For more tips on how to reduce your energy use read our blog.

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Comments (1)

  • • April 4, 2018 0 2

    Good article.

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