Best Ways to Monitor Your Solar System
Understanding your system is crucial for anyone interested in installing solar panels. After all, you want to ensure you’re getting as much out of your solar investment as possible, which can only happen if you know that your panels are operating at full capacity.
With grid-tied systems, it might be hard to notice any problems immediately. That’s why it’s so important to know what you’re supposed to check for to make sure your system is working properly.
Weather
Light can still reach your panels even if it’s partially blocked by clouds. As long as there is sunlight hitting your panels, you should still be able to generate some energy.
Production can fluctuate from season to season. Solar panels do their best work on clear days with lots of direct sunlight. It’s natural for panels to produce less power during winter or on cloudy days. However, the weather should not stop your solar panels from working unless the skies are completely blacked out.
Shading/Obstructions
Please make sure there aren’t any obstructions or debris affecting your solar panel’s production. Generally, rain can usually help clean your panels, but you might need to do a quick rinse with a hose 2-4 times a year to keep them free from any dust, dirt or twigs In dryer climates.
Look At Your Power Bill
An obvious indicator of your solar savings and how well your panels are working can be seen on your power bill. With clear skies and a healthy solar system, you should see a noticeable decrease in your power bills compared to what it was before getting your solar panels installed.
Inverter Health
You can’t power your home with solar energy without a functioning inverter. Inverters are used to convert direct current (DC) generated by your panels into usable alternating current (AC) to power your home.
There are two main types of inverters on the market right now—string inverters and microinverters. Be sure to double-check which inverter you’ll be getting with your system before your installation. If you already have a system installed and are still unsure about your inverter type, it should be pretty easy to figure out which one you have installed.
String inverters are much larger than microinverters and can typically be found as a single box installed near your main service panel and electric meter. Microinverters, on the other hand, are attached to each individual panel.
Inverters come with handy indicator lights that will let you know if anything is wrong. Please get in touch with your solar installer if you ever see a red indicator light. If you have microinverters, your system will come with a monitoring app that lets you know how your system is performing and if there are any issues you should check on.
Check On Your Solar Meter
Solar meters are installed to keep track of how much electricity you’re using and sending back to the grid. There should be an option that shows you the total kilowatt-hours generated from your solar system. If you can see an increase in the kilowatt-hours, then it’s a good sign that your panels are producing energy.
Contact your Solar Installer Company
If you notice any changes, please contact your solar installer for assistance. We have an after-service department to help our customers with any post-installation issues. Even if you’re not completely sure, it’s still better to be safe than sorry. We’d be happy to help you check up on your system to make sure everything is working correctly.
Sign up with Polaron for reliable installation and post-installation services. We’re here to help make the transfer to renewable energy easy. Qualify today for a free quote from one of our solar specialists.
