Practical Tips To Maximize The Solar Panel Efficiency | Choose My Power

With the increase in global warming and deteriorating resources to generate power, the world is shifting to a sustainable and clean energy source. As a renewable source of energy generation, solar energy plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change; it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels to generate energy. Solar energy is generated by solar panels containing PV cells that entrap the sunlight and produce electricity from them. The solar power generated by solar panels is scalable. It means it can be used for residential or commercial units per the needs. Installation of solar panels is easy but maintaining them for increased efficiency is often difficult. However, you can maximize solar panel efficiency with a few practical tips.

Ways To Maximize The Solar Panel Efficiency

All across the globe, people have become aware of climate change and its negative implications. With the depletion of non-renewable resources, switching to renewable, sustainable energy sources that leave fewer carbon footprints is also wise. And what better option than solar power, which checks all the requirements in the list? Businesses all over the world have started investing in commercial solar panels. However, not every company is doing enough to maintain the efficiency of their solar panels in the long run. Let's see what simple, effective, and practical tips would maximize solar panel efficiency.

1) Avoid Installing It In A Place With Blocked Sunlight

Solar panels are predesigned to work best in direct sunlight. Therefore if a building or a tree blocks out the sunlight, it will decrease the efficiency of the solar panel. Shade is considered the most detrimental for solar panels as it limits the array's output. Even if only a tiny piece of the array is shaded, the entire solar panel's production may be throttled. Trimming the trees around the solar arrays is the best solution to increase the panel's efficiency. If cutting the trees still doesn't help, or you are faced with the shadow cast by a building, try using a microinverter or power optimizer inverter, which will increase the output from the unshaded portions of the Solar panel's array.

2) Follow The Solar Placement Direction Rule

The placement & Orientation of solar panels is essential. A solar panel will harness the most power when the sun's rays hit the panel surface perpendicularly. Therefore it is always advisable to follow the general rule of solar placement. I.e., the solar panel should always face true south in the northern hemisphere and true north in the southern hemisphere. It is generally considered the best direction as this will ensure the receiving of direct sunlight throughout the day.

Additionally, the tilt and angle of a solar panel are also significant. Set the solar panel tilt angle equal to the geographical latitude. For instance, if the solar panel array is at the 50o latitude, the suitable tilt angle is also 50o. Essentially, the closer the solar panel is toward the equator, the more the solar panel should be pointing straight up. In contrast, if the panels are closer to the poles, they should be tilted toward the equator.

3) Install Solar Panels With High Quality

The quality of solar panels plays a crucial role when it comes to their efficiency. Most commercial solar panels are made of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells like monocrystalline silicon and polycrystalline silicon. A few solar cells are made of other materials like a thin film, cadmium telluride, etc. These materials play a deciding role that affects the power output. For instance, silicon's purity affects the quality and production. A Monocrystalline solar panel is relatively more efficient and, therefore, more expensive than a polycrystalline solar panel which is less efficient and, therefore, less expensive. Additionally, highly concentrated photovoltaic cells are considered highly efficient by increasing the efficiency by upto 46%. Thus, for maximized solar panel efficiency, go for highly concentrated photovoltaic cells made from monocrystalline silicon.

4) Cleaning The Solar Panels Regularly

As the solar panels are installed in open spaces, dust can often accumulate on them, leading to diminishing efficiency and thus reducing power output as the panel's right reflection efficiency increases. Due to accumulated dust, the array fails to entrap the proper sunlight, thus cutting energy production output. However, cleaning a solar panel is an easy task. Depending on the rain frequency in your area, you can schedule its cleaning. If your location doesn't get rainfall regularly, you can decide to clean it at least twice a year, depending on the dust accumulation. Then, you can rinse it off with a garden hose and scrub the built-up dust with a soft brush. These simple maintenance tips will drastically maximize the efficiency of solar panels, providing you with more electricity generation.

5) Schedule Preventive Checks & Rebate Claims

Scheduling and preventing checks are crucial for the best solar panel performance. For example, the experts could check if all the components and the modules are working correctly. As a result, any discrepancies in the panel could be detected beforehand, and a significant chunk of money could be saved in maintenance costs. In addition, since solar power is considered suitable for the environment, the government offers credits and tax rebates to choose solar energy at the state, local and federal levels. Avail of these benefits to maximize your solar panel's efficiency.

Conclusion

Solar energy is a clean and sustainable form of energy. Going solar means reducing energy bills, saving the environment, lowering carbon emissions, and increasing your home's value. However, after we install solar panels for our homes or commercial properties, we often forget to maintain them and thus start cribbing about the reduced efficiency. With the practical tips mentioned in this blog, you can increase your solar panel's efficiency. For solar panel consultations, reach out to Choose My Power LLC. We are a trusted and highly reliable company that provides end-to-end solar consultation. Our sustainable solar energy solutions lead to utility bill reductions and component maintenance. If you are looking for a dependable and cost-effective solar solution, visit Choose My Power LLC because "We Do Connections Right."