We know that solar energy comes from Earth’s natural sunshine, making solar-powered systems especially beneficial during the summer months. However, while the warmer months are full of sunshine, they’re also full of heat and pollen that affect the efficiency of your solar panels. Here are a few tips to help you get the most of your solar-powered systems during the summer months.
Solar power and temperature
It’s easy to think a hot summer’s day would be the perfect time for your solar panels to collect energy. However, solar panels convert light into electricity, not heat. In fact, it’s a good idea to keep your panels from becoming overheated. Make sure your contractor installs your panels a few inches above your roof to allow for a convective air flow, which helps keep the panels cool. You can also request light-colored panels to help reduce the amount of heat they absorb.
Solar power and debris
In addition to heat, the summer months also bring pollen. It’s not unusual for solar panels to become clouded with dust, grime, and pollen during the summer season, and with enough buildup, this can significantly affect a system’s efficiency.Keeping your panels clear of debris is important. Fortunately, rain usually washes away most pollen, dust, and debris. If it rarely rains where you live, you can rinse pollen and dust from your solar panels with a garden hose. Be sure to use demineralized water when cleaning your panels, as hard water can cause corrosion over time. For safety reasons, it’s better to clean your panels from the ground. If cleaning from the ground isn’t possible, you may want to hire a qualified professional instead.
Solar power storage
During the summer months, we have more hours of sunshine. Taking advantage of the lasting light can help you store the electricity that your solar panels make. One way to do this is to incorporate a solar battery. Solar batteries help to store extra solar power for later use. So, if your solar panels are creating more energy than you need, the extra power goes toward charging the battery. Another way you can store power from your solar panels is to change the time of day you consume your energy from evening to daylight hours. Since solar energy only generates power during the day, use appliances like your washing machine and air conditioning during the day instead of the evening.
Keeping your solar panels performing their best during the summer can drastically reduce or even eliminate your current electricity bill.
