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Maximize Your Solar Potential In Spring
- February 25, 2021
Spring is the best time to start thinking about maximizing the potential of your solar panels.
With days getting longer and weather warming up, what is the best way for you to make sure you are maximizing your solar potential? High production in the spring and summer will ensure you are generating all the energy you will need to get you through the next winter. We are lucky in Colorado to be able to utilize the benefits of Net-Metering. What this means for you is that all the power you generate but do not use, can be “saved” for another day. Depending on your utility provider this could be in a credit back on your bill, or “banking” the energy to use on days you produce less.
The first thing to remember about maximizing your solar potential is that the less you use, the more you can “bank.”
If you are using all the energy you produce each day, you could end up with more of a bill in the months with less sun. Most systems don’t have the ability to produce at max capacity each day of the year. Shorter winter days shorten the daylight hours you can use to soak up the sun and produce energy. One of the fastest ways to lower your consumption is switching LED light-bulbs which save you energy because they do not generate the heat of regular light-bulbs. Another step to take is evaluate your home appliances. Switching to EnergyStar-rated appliances can greatly help you lower your daily consumption.
While Solar panels do not require regular maintenance, you can help keep them performing their best by cleaning off dust or pollen that may settle on them.
In Colorado we typically have enough rain to wash your panels very naturally and often enough that you need not worry about it, however, if you would like to do more, you can simply wash them with water from your garden hose. You never want to use any chemicals or cloths to wash them because there is a potential for damage which would inhibit your ability to maximize you solar production.
The next best practice to maximizing your solar potential is to utilize the monitoring system that is set up with your SolarEdge Inverter.
Your monitoring will give you a comprehensive overview of your production and the production or each individual panel. This will allow you to be aware if any part of your array is not performing or is having any issues. Your SolarEdge monitoring is available on your computer or by an App on your phone or tablet.
If you would like more resources on maximizing your solar potential, please check out these websites for more information: solarpowernerd.com and mothernews.com.
