If you’re the owner of a solar panel system, you know that the output of your panels makes a big impact. Beyond satisfying your home’s energy needs, extra energy produced by your solar panels goes back into the grid. With net metering, this means that you earn credits with the utility company to cover the cost of any energy you need from the grid in the future.

There’s much to gain by owning a St. Louis Park solar panel system, and maximizing your solar panel output will increase those gains. Here, we’ll provide our top tips for boosting the output of your solar panel system for greater energy savings over time. Since solar panel output can vary significantly based on the conditions, these tips can provide an immediate, notable improvement to your solar panels’ performance.

Ensure Optimal Panel Orientation

The amount of sunlight that reaches your solar panels for energy production depends on the panels’ orientation. Some orientations provide greater sun exposure than others, and this can be a major factor in solar output. Ideally, during the solar panel installation, your installation team determined the best position for the panels to ensure maximum output. If this isn’t the case, revisiting the panels’ orientation with a trusted team of St. Louis Park solar panel experts could be well worth it. The team can determine the best possible position for the panels in relation to the sun. This will make sure that the panels receive as much sunlight as possible throughout the day, thus improving the total solar panel output.

Steer Clear of Shade

Shade: it provides a glorious break from the sun’s harsh rays on a sweltering day. But, when it comes to solar panel performance, shade is the enemy. Shade, whether from trees, a neighboring building, or other obstructions will block the sun from your solar panels, the sun has to hit the surface of the panels for energy to be produced. So, ultimately, shade will cause the output of your solar panels to take a hit.

Again, in a perfect world, shade was considered when your solar panels were first installed. However, a lot can change over time. If a new tree grew significantly or was planted and is now casting shade over your roof, or if a new home was built near your property, the position of your solar panels may need to be reimagined. Your St. Louis Park solar panel experts can reposition your solar panels to avoid shady patches and get as much sun as possible throughout the day. This will lead to greater energy production.

Make Use of Backup Solar Batteries

If you don’t currently own solar batteries to accompany your solar panel system, it’s a good time to invest in them. Backup batteries can maximize the solar energy that your home has available for use. At night, on cloudy days, or during power outages, you can use backup solar batteries to satisfy your energy needs while your solar panels are temporarily out of commission.

Solar batteries with inbuilt solar panels can simply be placed outside on sunny days to recharge. Once the batteries are fully charged, store them inside so that they’re ready-to-go if you need them.

Keep The Panels Clean

Since your solar panels are situated on the surface of your roof, dirt and debris can accumulate on them over time. It’s true that solar panels require very little maintenance, given that they’re built to be exceptionally durable. However, if debris builds up on the panels over time, it will start to diminish solar energy production.

Periodically, clean the surface of your solar panels with clean water to rid them of dirt, dust, and debris, such as leaves and pine needles. If you’re not comfortable cleaning your solar panels, or if it’s not safe to do so given the positioning of the panels, contact a professional to do so. This step can be very helpful in maximizing the output of your solar panels, especially during dry spells when rainstorms aren’t naturally cleaning the surface of the panels.

For help with your St. Louis Park solar panels, contact Midwest Construction today.