Maximising Solar Efficiency: Tips For Your PV System

If you have installed or are considering purchasing a solar PV system, you need to know how to maximize its efficiency. We have prepared a mini guide for you. The simple tips and tricks in the guide will help you get the most out of your solar panels.

Things WE can do to make sure you get the most efficiency from your panels:

Using High-Quality Panels: Quality panels have better performance and a longer lifespan. It is therefore vital that you invest in high-quality solar panels with good performance values and conversion efficiency. Moreover, high-efficiency panels have the feature of producing more electricity per square meter.

Optimum Placement: We recommend that you install solar panels in areas exposed to the highest levels of sunlight throughout the day. These points are south-facing locations in the northern hemisphere.  Also, where solar panels are installed, there should be no obstructions such as trees, buildings or shadows that could block sunlight.

Tilt and Angle: To maximize the amount of sunlight the solar panels receive, you should fine-tune their tilt and angle. An excellent way to maximize the performance of your solar system is to tilt the system at a sharper angle. Ideally, your panels should be angled so that they face the sun directly overhead so that the solar panels can capture most of the sunlight. In this way, solar panels will increase energy production by absorbing more sun rays and your electricity bills will be greatly reduced.

Optimal System Sizing: While designing the solar energy system, you should not ignore your energy needs. For this, it would be wise to first analyse your electricity consumption patterns and choose an appropriate system size to avoid under or over-use. Oversizing can cause underuse. On the other hand, under-sizing can lead to insufficient energy production.

Inverter Efficiency: During use in your home or grid, you should choose an efficient inverter that converts the direct current produced by solar panels into alternating current. The higher the quality of an inverter, the higher the conversion capability.

Avoid Shading: Even partial shading can hinder the efficiency of solar panels. Therefore, you need to minimize the shading on the solar panels. To do this, you can prune overhanging branches, remove nearby structures, or seek help from shading analysis tools.

Things YOU can do to keep your system running effectively:

Regular Cleaning: It’s important to ensure the solar panels are free from dust, dirt, leaves, or other residues. To ensure optimum light absorption of the solar panels, you should regularly check the surface of the panels and pay extra attention to the cleanliness of the solar panels, especially in areas with high levels of pollution or dust.

Monitoring and Maintenance: You should regularly monitor the performance of your solar panels to detect any problems or decrease in the efficiency. When you analyze and pay attention to data such as energy production, system efficiency, and deviations from expected output, you can immediately identify any problem and produce the necessary solution. In addition to checking for damaged or worn components, you should replace them if necessary. You can help solar panels maintain their top performance through timely repairs or replacements.

Battery Storage: If you are using a solar system with battery storage, you must be careful about storing the batteries properly and charging them when necessary. Thanks to efficient storage, you can use the stored excess energy on cloudy days or at night. This will maximize the overall efficiency of your solar panels.

We offer free, no obligation installation surveys where we can advise whether your property is suitable for Solar PV based on the above criteria.