Thanks to increased efficiency and decreased production costs, switching to clean and renewable solar energy isn’t just good for the environment.
The cost of installing a solar system is likely to be significantly cheaper than what you’d be paying your utility company for electricity over its lifetime.
Indeed, nowadays, saving money is probably a bigger factor driving solar installations than environmental concerns. But, when calculating how much money you’ll save by going solar, the cost of installation isn’t the only consideration. The amount of time and money you’ll need to spend doing maintenance has to be factored in as well.
The good news is that there’s hardly anything to factor in here. Solar panels typically require almost no maintenance and should function properly for 25 to 30 years before needing replacement.
A little minor maintenance every once in a while, however, can help maximize your return on investment by making sure your panels are operating at maximal efficiency.
LOW MAINTENANCE DESIGN
Solar panels are sturdy enough to withstand damage even under the most severe weather conditions. Likewise for any installation done by competent professionals.
So, the only problem you’re likely to encounter during their 25 to 30 year expected lifespan is an occasional buildup of dirt or other particles that inhibit sunlight from striking their surface. Even here, however, the very slippery surface of a solar panel means that dirt and grime won’t easily stick. And that means that, because the panels are sloped, rain and snow function as a natural cleaner.
EASY MAINTENANCE
Because of their low maintenance design, all you need to do is keep an eye out for dirt and debris. If you do notice any starting to collect, it can easily be removed with a leaf or snow blower, or by hosing water onto panels to wash away anything unwanted.
Apart from dirt, the only other thing you need to worry about is snow. If your panels are covered in a layer of snow after a storm, they obviously won’t be getting any sunlight. Fortunately, once the storm has passed, snow isn’t likely to remain on your solar panels very long.
The black silicon at their surface isn’t just extraordinarily slippery. It also heats up very quickly when exposed to sunlight—much more quickly than even the black surface of your roof will. As such, any little bit of sun striking a solar panel creates heat, causing more snow to melt and slide off, which in turn allows more sunlight in to create even more heat.
Solar panels turn out to be optimally designed so that any accumulating snow melts off quickly, leaving a freshly cleaned panel.
If a particularly heavy storm does leave snow on your panels that isn’t coming off quickly, a spray of warm water from a hose or air from a blower will, once again easily remove it. But, if you're removing snow or even dirt on a very cold day, make sure the water is warm, so you don’t wind up with ice accumulating.
IT REALLY IS THAT SIMPLE
That’s all there is to maintaining your solar system. How often your panels need a quick blast of air or water to let all the sunshine through will depend on local weather conditions. But, unless you live in an extraordinarily dusty and dry climate, you should only need to do such simple inexpensive maintenance under five times a year.