Who's Watching Your Solar System While You're Watching Your Business?

As of 2022, about 2.8% of all electricity generated in the US came from solar energy.

A commercial solar system can offer a range of benefits, making them more popular every year. However, it's essential to understand that once you have one installed, you still need to look after it. You need to do certain things to keep your system secure.

In this guide, we'll review some of the best techniques to help protect commercial solar systems. Keep reading for more.

Keep Your Solar Panels Clean

One of the significant benefits of commercial solar panels is that they don't need too much maintenance. In general, the only thing you need to do is make sure you keep them clean.

The amount of cleaning required can vary depending on the conditions. Dirt buildup can happen, and it's more common in rural areas. However, if there's a lot of rainfall, this will help prevent a lot of dirt from coating your solar panels.

Other things, such as tree sap, lichen, or bird droppings, can be more resilient. When your solar panels aren't clean, they won't get as much sunlight, making them less efficient. Cleaning is fairly simple, but many commercial solar companies offer professional cleaning services if your panels are challenging to access or you have multiple systems.

Solar panels can often last for decades, but they'll begin to degrade eventually. This will have a similar effect, and they'll gradually lose efficiency.

Keep an Eye on the Inverter Light

Your solar system will have an inverter, and people often need to pay attention to this. While it's uncommon, inverters can have issues, partly due to them being the most complicated component in a solar installation.

The inverter will have some indicators, and the installer should provide instructions that detail what these mean. You should also be able to find this information on the manufacturer's website.

The inverter should have a green light on a normal sunny day when your system is generating power. This shows it's functioning normally. If the light is orange or red on a sunny day, this usually indicates some fault.

If there's something wrong, the display might have an error code so you can determine the issue. In this case, you should call the installer and explain it so they can figure out what needs to be done.

Sometimes, it can be a circuit-breaker trip, which you should be able to deal with yourself. For something more serious, you'll likely need a technician to come out and take a look.

Monitor Your System's Data

If you get a modern system from a commercial solar company, you should be able to monitor the data in two ways. One is on the digital screen (if your inverter has one), and the other is through an online portal. The latter presents more detailed information, which is usually better and easier to understand.

This info will tell you how much power is being supplied at a specific time, on a given day, and since the time it was installed. You can keep an eye on things, and quickly spot if there are any issues. You can also speak to your installer and determine if anything unusual occurs.

Getting a Commercial Solar System for Your Business

A commercial solar system can benefit your business; you just need to keep it in good condition. Transform Energy provides renewable energy solutions for businesses that can help make them more eco-friendly and efficient.

Take a look at our solar installation page to find out more about how we can help your company today.