Solar panels are a great way to get clean and green energy at your home. It can help you save money on your bills, have a smaller carbon footprint, and in some cases, it can even allow you to sell energy back to the grid.
Solar panels are a great investment, but if you want to see a return on that investment sooner rather than later, then you will need to maximize your solar energy usage. Here are some tips that will help you get the best out of your solar panels.
Keep your solar panels clean
Cleaning up your solar panels regularly is quite important. Actually, dust and dirt from the air can start to deposit on the panels.
It blocks the light from falling on the panels effectively, thus reducing the energy that is produced. So, make sure that you maintain and clean your solar panels regularly to keep them operating optimally.
Save energy inside the house
To increase the functionality of your solar panel system, you need to minimize the waste of energy inside your home. Start by making sure that no unnecessary lights or appliances are left on.
Try to maximize the usage of natural daylight. You should also consider replacing appliances that consume a lot of energy with energy-saving alternatives. Instead of drying clothes in the dryer, dry the clothes in the sun.
Place your panels at the right place
Installing your solar panels at the right place is very important. You should make sure that they are getting the maximum amount of direct sunlight possible.
Make sure that there are not any trees blocking the sunlight for the panels. Solar panels should get a minimum of four and optimally more than six hours of direct peak sunlight to operate.
Make sure you are getting this amount of sunlight before you make a decision to install solar panels. There are many solar companies in Illinois and other states that do an evaluation of your home, before installing solar panels, which allows you to understand what your potential is, before you make a decision to install panels.
Minimize energy consumption during peak hours
Most energy companies charge more for the energy consumed during peak hours, which is usually from 7 am to 7 pm. You should try to minimize the usage of electricity during this time.
Do tasks like washing clothes and ironing them before this time or after it. You should try to use natural light. You should also install a hybrid system of thermal and photovoltaic panels, so that you can heat up the water and your house can use thermal solar panels. This will save a lot of solar energy.
Use solar concentrators
Solar concentrators are amazing devices that allow the maximum amount of light to fall on your solar panels. As the name suggests, this device concentrates the sunlight from the surroundings onto your solar panels, increasing the amount of energy produced.
Most of the time, solar concentrators use reflective surfaces or mirrors to maximize the light on the panels. This is an effective and affordable way to maximize the efficiency of your solar panel system, and not only do they increase the amount of energy produced, but they also reduce its cost.
About the Author:
Louis Paulson is a graduate of California University and is currently working on his dream project of creating organic energy mixes. In his leisure time, he likes to write about climate change, energy, and clean tech. To read more of his blogs, you can visit http://headlinesolar.com/.
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