Spring Cleaning: A Fresh Start for Your Solar System

With spring right around the corner, there’s no time like the present to prepare your solar system for the bright, sunny weather ahead. A few steps are necessary to ensure your solar array is functioning at peak efficiency. 

You can find a full guide for installers here.

Monitoring Access

First, solar homeowners need to ensure they have access to their monitoring platform. The monitoring often comes from the inverter manufacturer, but some companies will have their own proprietary monitoring platform for your system. 

Most installers will set up the monitoring platform once the system is completely installed and has achieved permission to operate (PTO). You may have a smartphone app or a webpage where you can sign in. 

It’s good practice to regularly check the system monitoring to ensure production is happening and there are no errors. Make sure you have access to monitoring and can view your system’s status. If you don’t have access, contact your installer or the inverter manufacturer to get access. 

Panel Cleaning

Depending on where you live, you should have your panels professionally cleaned. If you live in one of the country’s drier areas where dust is common, or near a coast where salt water can get caught in the wind, your panels may have a layer of buildup on top of them. 

This thin layer can reduce the amount of sunlight hitting your panels and reduce the amount of energy produced. If you live in a region with more rain and snow, you may not experience this issue because nature takes care of your panels. 

Cleaning can either be done by a homeowner or by a professional company. We never recommend climbing on your roof and trying to walk around panels to clean them. 

If your panels are lower to the ground and reachable with a garden hose, use your hose to spray off the panels. This should remove most of the buildup. If you cannot access your panels easily, do not climb on the roof to clean them. Contact a professional company to come out and clean the panels. 

Critters and Nests

Critters like squirrels and birds like to build nests underneath panels because they are protected from the elements and warm. In the case of squirrels, panel wires are ripe for chewing. 

As the weather warms up, visually inspect your panels to ensure nothing has built a nest underneath your system. In some cases, leaves or other debris can also build up underneath. While not as dangerous as critters, clearing that debris out is best. 

Stand back from your roof at a point that allows you to see underneath your panels. If your panels are on a high-up roof, a good trick is to use your cell phone camera’s enhanced zoom to get a good look at what’s underneath. 

If you notice debris or nests under your panels, contact your solar installer or a pest removal company. 

Debris on Inverters or Batteries

Another place to check for debris buildup is on your inverter or any batteries that may be installed. Make sure nothing is piled up on top or behind the equipment. Check the top, sides, and heat exchangers on the back of the inverter(s) to ensure they are debris-free. 

Under no circumstances should you attempt to remove the equipment from the wall or open up the protective casing of your inverter or battery. Doing so will void the warranty of your equipment. If you suspect an issue with equipment, contact your solar installer for assistance.

Tree Trimming

Solar production is all about sunlight and if you’ve got tree branches creeping out over the panels, production is going to drop. Spring is a great time to assess how much growth happened over last summer and fall and trim back any portions of trees that will impede sunlight. Trees can cast a much larger shadow than one might think so don’t be shy about removing branches.

Checking in on Net Metering

While not technically related to cleaning your equipment, spring is a good time to check in on any net metering status if your utility provides it. Many utilities schedule their annual true-up for April 1st to start the sunny season. 

If you have a metering agreement with your utility, check your latest bill to see if you have any credit rolling over. If your panels were designed to meet 100% of your utility needs and your consumption exceeds production, evaluate your energy use inside your home and see where you can improve efficiency. 

Spring Cleaning For Efficiency

Keep an eye on your system to keep it up and running and bring energy savings to you and your home.

Thanks for watching, if you found this helpful make sure to like the video and check out another video I’ll link here about improving your systems efficiency.