7 Ways to Maximize Your Solar Panel Efficiency

Many people are shocked when they hear about how fast the solar power industry is growing in the United States and how large it already is. For the past five years, the solar power market has been growing by about 20.5% every single year. In 2023, this industry is now worth more than $21 billion just in the United States!

As more and more people get interested in home solar panel systems, it is also important that people learn about how to increase their solar panel efficiency. Some people do not get the results out of their solar panel system that they expect. However, others use various techniques to get even more power out of their home solar systems than is typically expected.

There are a lot of techniques you can use so that you can run even more of your home on the energy of the Sun. So what can you do to take your home solar panel efficiency to the next level?

Read on to learn all about these powerful ways to maximize your solar panel efficiency!

1. Invest in Efficient Solar Panels

As technology progresses, the efficiency of solar panel systems keeps getting better. If you have an older solar panel system, you might want to look at some of the newer pieces of technology out there.

Although you can follow the other tips in this article to maximize the efficiency of the system you have now, it may be difficult to compete with the more advanced technology that has been developed in the past few years.

Of course, you do not have to get rid of your old system just because you are considering a more modern home solar power system. You can often get new solar panels installed alongside your older ones.

On the other hand, you might be looking for your first home solar panel system. When you are choosing among your many options for solar panels, make sure to find a reputable manufacturer.

Solar panels are an investment that will pay off in the years to come. It is more than worth putting in a little extra effort and doing your due diligence to make sure that you choose quality solar panels that will provide you with the most bang for your buck.

2. Enjoy Quality Home Solar System Installation

Even if you choose the best solar panels possible, you will not get the most out of them if you do not enjoy a quality installation job as well. This is one more reason that it is important to buy your home solar panel system from a reputable company. Quality solar panel companies have skilled technicians that can install your solar panels so as to maximize the power that they produce.

For example, it is generally better to install your solar panels on a roof that faces south. Installing your solar panels at the wrong angle could cut down their efficiency by about 15%.

3. Keep Track of Your Solar Energy Production

In most cases, solar panel systems will come with a way to read how much power they are producing. Some people only worry about efficiency when they are first getting their solar panel system. However, there are many different ways that your solar panels might start out producing a lot of power only to become less efficient later on.

As long as you are keeping track of your system performance, you can notice fluctuations in energy production. In some cases, your solar panels will start producing less energy because of a minor repair need. As long as you notice these problems when they first show up, you can schedule the necessary repairs right away.

Quick repairs will make sure that your solar panels maintain their efficient energy production. However, another reason it is important to catch these kinds of repair needs right away is that most problems with solar panels will tend to get worse with time.

If you do not know about small problems with your solar panels, there is a good chance that they will develop into bigger ones. In fact, once a problem with one aspect of your home solar panel system gets big enough, it can start to place more stress on other parts of your home solar panel system.

Left alone long enough, your simple repair job can turn into multiple separate problems with your solar panels. That can make it much more difficult to restore them to efficient energy production.

You can pay for quality repairs, but they will be more expensive for problems that have been left to fester. As long as you are keeping track of your solar energy production, you can notice any fluctuations in efficiency and resolve problems as soon as possible.

4. Invest in Solar Panel Cleaning

Many people get solar panels with the understanding that they require little maintenance. Although that is true, it is still necessary to make sure that nothing is keeping sunlight from reaching your solar panels.

Of course, your solar panels will tend to accumulate dust, dirt, and other debris over the months and years. That is why it is important to spend a few minutes every month or so cleaning off your solar panels. The good news is that a simple solution of soap and water and a soft cloth is usually all you need to provide your solar panels with maximum exposure to sunlight.

In fact, it is important to avoid using more intense cleaning products or abrasive brushes when you are clearing off your solar panels. A more intense cleaning can cause scuffs and scratches in your solar panels. This can lead to lower efficiency because these imperfections in the surface of your solar panels will interfere with the passage of sunlight down into the deeper components of your panels.

It can often help to learn more about how to clean your panels for maximum efficiency.

5. Schedule Occasional Solar Panel Maintenance

Even if you do not notice anything wrong with your solar panels, it is still important to schedule regular maintenance. The good news is that you might only need to have professionals inspect your solar panels about once each year.

In many cases, your solar panel technicians will tell you that everything is in order and no repairs are needed. However, sometimes, your solar panel technicians will catch burgeoning problems that have not yet led to any efficiency problems.

By catching these problems when they are still small, your technicians will be able to keep your solar panels in top condition and prevent efficiency problems from ever cropping up in the first place.

6. Keep Shade off Your Solar Power System

In some cases, you might find that your solar panel efficiency is going down at certain hours of the day for reasons that are not obvious. Sometimes, this is the result of shade keeping your solar panels from enjoying maximum exposure to the sun.

One reason that people have difficulty identifying this problem is that it may only show up at certain times of the day. You might check on your solar panels and not see any shade blocking sunlight at all. However, it is important to look for any branches that might be causing shade to fall on your solar panels at other hours of the day.

Another reason people have trouble identifying this problem is that it might take years for a branch to grow until it casts shade on your solar panels. Even if your solar panels have perfect access to sunlight right now, you will need to pay attention to growing branches in the years to come.

7. Invest in Batteries to Store Solar Power

When your solar panels produce more energy than your home is using at a given moment, you will not have anything to do with the extra energy. If you don’t have any batteries, that can mean wasting all of this extra solar power.

However, if your solar power system has batteries, they can collect this extra energy. Then, when your solar panels are not producing as much power or your home energy consumption is going up, you can benefit from the energy stored in your batteries.

However, there is an even bigger way that batteries can improve your home solar system efficiency. The cost of energy from the power grid changes based on the time of day because there is more demand at some times of the day.

Your batteries will allow your solar panels to store energy during the hours of the day when you can buy energy from the electrical grid at cheap prices. Then, when energy is more expensive, you can enjoy all of the power stored in your home solar system batteries. That can make batteries one of the best ways to increase solar panel efficiency.

Know the Top Ways to Maximize Your Solar Panel Efficiency

As the years go by, solar panel efficiency continues to go up. At the same time, there is a lot that you can do to enjoy even greater solar panel efficiency. Considering how many people are seeing their energy bills go up in recent months and years, finding ways to maximize your solar panel energy production might be the perfect solution.

To learn more about the latest information in solar power, business, and more, take a look at our other articles!