Photovoltaic solar energy composes over 2% of all energy production in the United States.
We are however in the midst of an energy revolution. Renewable energy sources like solar energy will grow exponentially in the coming years.
If you already have solar panels, you may not be utilizing them to their full potential.
Residential solar panels have the potential for a ton of electricity production provided that you use them the right way. Here’s how you can do that.
Choose the Right Aspect for Solar Panels
Hopefully, during your solar panel installation, you installed your panels on a south-facing aspect.
In the northern hemisphere, this aspect generally gets the most sunlight and therefore will allow your panels to operate at optimal efficiency. If you didn’t choose a south-facing aspect you may want to consider re-installing them.
A professional like Blue Raven Solar would be happy to help you re-install your panels on the correct facing aspect that maximizes their electricity production.
Keep Your Panels Clean
You should wash your panels whenever grime, dirt, and dust coat them. If you live near the ocean make sure to wash off any caked salt as well.
All of these things can cloud your photovoltaic panels and make them produce less electricity.
Open Up Your Property to Sunlight
You may have ample sunlight on your property, but chances are you can always get more. Unless you live in a barren wasteland or desert ecotone, you may have some vegetation around your home.
Some of this may shade your property and you may want to clear it out to open up some more sunlight. Felling trees can be dangerous so make sure to contact a professional.
Also, you can only cut things on your actual property so be careful not to cut outside of your property boundaries.
Keep Your Solar Panels Well Maintained
Part of your overall solar panel cost is maintenance. You should make sure to replace broken components and test your panels quarterly to make sure they are still producing the maximum amount of electricity possible.
This is even more true for commercial solar panels which tend to power much larger operations and therefore are subject to more wear and tear over time.
As new technology emerges you may also want to think about upgrading your panels from time to time.
Utilize Portable Solar Panels
If you only have a solar panel system mounted on your roof you are wasting all of the additional square footage of your property that gets sunlight. Try placing a few portable solar panels around these areas.
They can soak up the extra sunlight and provide you with some electricity for smaller appliances and devices. If used wisely, portable solar panels can produce a ton of power for you.
Every Watt Counts
Every bit of electricity you can squeeze out of your solar panels is less money coming out of your pocket for utility bills. Maximizing your solar panels’ efficiency and lifespan is important.
Use the tips in this guide to get the most out of your solar panels. That way you will get the most possible electricity for the longest possible time. If you enjoyed reading this check back with our site for other informative stuff like it.
