The world is trying to reduce carbon footprints and control pollution by opting for sustainable energy resources. Businesses are also putting efforts into adopting these resources to play their part in conserving the environment. The most significant approach in this regard is the use of solar panel systems. They use the light radiations from the sun and convert them into electrical energy.
Commercial solar panel maintenance is mandatory to maximise the lifespan of this system. Maintaining solar panels can be challenging and time-consuming, and you may not even get the desired results. To assist you in this regard, we have brought some easy yet effective maintenance tips to increase the lifespan of your solar panel system. Let’s uncover these tips without further ado.
Top 09 Commercial Solar Panel Maintenance Tips
The following are some common yet highly effective tips to maintain your commercial solar panel system and maximise its longevity.
Regular Cleaning
The first and foremost thing you need to do is to regularly clean the solar panels. Over time, dust and other debris accumulate on the panels and form a thin layer. This layer blocks the sunlight and impacts the performance of your solar panel system. This dust and dirt need to be cleaned after regular intervals.
Sometimes a dry cloth will be enough to remove this dust. However, if the layer is thick and is not removed easily, you will have to use water and mild detergent to clean solar panels.
Inspections
You may fail to maintain your commercial solar panel system without inspecting it. Set an inspection schedule to check if your solar panels are OK. This inspection will involve using different approaches to check for any errors with the panels. It then enables you to take adequate steps to fix the issues.
Trim Surrounding Vegetation
If your commercial building is located in a rural or suburban area, there are chances of vegetation and trees around it. Their shadow will block the sunlight and impact the performance of your solar panels. To avoid this issue, you need to trim the surrounding trees and other vegetation after regular intervals as a part of the maintenance routine.
Continuous Monitoring
External cleaning or inspection isn’t all you need to do to maintain your commercial solar panel system. You need to pay special attention to the overall performance of the system as well. To do so, you need to continuously monitor the performance of this solar panel system.
This monitoring helps you assess the performance of the system and describes the reasons why it’s doing well. Based on this monitoring, you can identify the underlying issues at an early stage and fix them.
Weatherproofing
Different weather conditions can impact the solar panels. Harsh weather, especially rain and hail, can damage them. Therefore, you must opt for weatherproofing when installing this system. To do so, you need to check that all the components are sealed and made from weather-resistant materials. This weather resistance will prevent your panels from water damage and extend their lifespan.
Educate and Train Employees
You cannot maintain the solar panels on your own only. You need assistance from your workers as well to keep them maintained and functional. However, your employees can do so only when they have some knowledge about commercial solar panel maintenance. Therefore, you need to educate and train them in this regard. Tell them why it’s important to maintain solar panels and how they can play their role in maintaining them.
Use Quality Components
Many people don’t pay attention to it but you must start focusing on maintenance at the time of installation. Make sure to use high-quality components during commercial solar panel installation. When top-tier components are used, the chances of damage will be less and your solar panels will work optimally. Apart from that, it’s easy to maintain such components.
Implement a Maintenance Schedule
One of the simplest things you need to do for commercial solar panel maintenance is to set a schedule. You cannot just go and start cleaning your panels any time you want. You must set a schedule to maintain them. You must schedule the time for cleaning, inspecting, trimming and other maintenance tasks.
Seek Assistance from Professionals
DIY approaches are effective in maintaining your commercial solar panel system. However, they may not work sometimes, especially when your panels are not working properly due to underlying issues. In such a situation, you need to seek assistance from experts. They will identify and fix the problems with your solar panels and make them functional.
Bottom Line
To sum it up, commercial solar panel installation is a green approach to fulfil the energy requirements of your business. To make sure your system keeps working optimally, you must keep it maintained. The aforementioned maintenance tips will help in keeping your solar panels functional for an extended duration.