How to Get Your Solar Panels Fall-Ready

Autumn is the time of year where leaves and rain are falling and cool air is spreading. While you might not have thought too much about it, this is the time of year where you should start making small changes to how you utilize your solar panel technology. From the increasing necessity to clean your system, to the very way the panels are tilted, little shifts during a seasonal change can help your solar panels better perform no matter what time of year it is. Keep reading to learn about all the ways you can adjust your panels for the upcoming fall weather.

Cleaning Your Panels More Frequently in Autumn

While the general rule of thumb for cleaning solar panels is every six months, the fall weather can increase that necessity. With leaves falling at the highest rate of the year and extra windy weather blowing dirt and debris onto your panels, it’s important to try to keep your system clean and clear in order to make sure it’s working at its maximum efficiency. A good rule of thumb is to wait until mid-autumn and then do a thorough cleaning. This will be right after a majority of the debris has accumulated on your panels, making them have inefficiencies that you’ll want to take care of before the second half of autumn makes it even worse. and will be the ideal time to give it a fresh look before the second half of autumn comes around.

Though this is when your thorough cleaning should be done, you may want to make sure it’s actually necessary before doing one. Some people wait until spring, when all the autumn rainy, snowy weather has passed through, before actually doing the power wash. You’ll have to consider where you live and what the weather is like there in order to decide which route is right for your panels. For example, if they get covered in a lot of leaves and have dirt building up around them, it’s a good idea to do a more frequent cleaning. However, if your only problem is some minimal dust, this will only cost you about 7% of your panels’ efficiency, and therefore it’s not really necessary to do a thorough cleaning.

Adjusting the Tilt of Your Panel to Adjust to Seasonal Sunlight

Something you may not have considered is the position of the sunlight, which changes depending on the season. It’s more drastic than you may think, as well, with the variance between summer and winter being an up to 30-degree difference. Figure out where your sun falls at various times of day in your area to figure out how you should be tilting your solar panel in order to get the optimal energy efficiency.

Using the Heat and A/C

During autumn, there’s generally a neutral temperature on most days. Because of this, you should be careful about how much energy you are putting into your heating and cooling systems and try to limit it as much as possible. Doing so will increase the amount of extra energy you have that you can put into something more practical, and your power bill will probably thank you.

The Kind of Bulb You Use Matters

As the days grow shorter and night comes out sooner, you’ll be using a lot more energy on keeping your home bright. Because of this, you should make the important step of switching from traditional bulbs to LED bulbs, which will help you conserve your power.

Want more tips and tricks for your solar lifestyle? Check out the HahaSmart blog!

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