Page 43 - Intra Muros December Issue 2023

LIFESTYLE

A Studies have shown that panels can lose as much as 20%
few years ago, residential solar power and solar energy
to 25% of their generating capacity when they are dirty.
solutions for your home were the ultimate luxury. We all
knew one or two people who had “that kind of money”
and decided to go off-grid. While solar panel cleaning services do exist, it can also
be a low-tech home maintenance DIY project. You do not
Now, and thanks in no small part to the whole Eskom debacle of need power tools or specialised equipment to clean your
continuous rolling blackouts, residential solar has become more own panels.
of a necessity than a luxury.
Don’t harm your panels
In an interesting twist of economics – based on demand Clean the glass only with a mild glass cleaner, a soft
exceeding supply (initially); backlogs on components and raw sponge or squidgy and clean water. Take care not to
products, hampering production; desperate buyers fearing stage leave streaks on the glass. Do not use anything abrasive
8 loadshedding; and solar panel suppliers over-ordering stock like a scrub brush, or harsh chemicals like bleach that
for import just as load shedding was reduced – the price for solar could damage the glass.
panels has dropped nearly 20% since the beginning of the year.
Don’t harm yourself
This has been fantastic news for the average South African. Have Solar panels heat up and retain heat for a long time. So,
a look as you drive through your neighbourhood, and you’ll see if you are planning on washing them by hand, wait for
that between March 2022 and June 2023, South Africa’s rooftop them to cool down or erect temporary shade over them
solar generation has increased by 349%. It’s clear that solar to avoid getting burnt by them. Washing them in the
power is here to stay. early morning is usually a safer bet.

In South Africa we have the space, the sunlight and the Your health and safety are worth much more than your
motivation to make solar one of our main residential power panels, so be extra cautious when it comes to dancing
supplies, so let’s get familiar with what solar power is. around on your roof and climbing up and down ladders.
If you feel at all unsure or insecure about your own
Harvesting the sun’s energy abilities, play it safe and call the professionals.
The website www.nationalgrid.com explains solar energy this
way: “Solar panels are usually made from silicon, or another It’s still electricity…
semiconductor material installed in a metal panel frame with As with all electrical and energy solutions like
a glass casing. When this material is exposed to photons of conventional electricity and gas, it is important to have
sunlight (very small packets of energy), it releases electrons and your installation and set-up professionally checked
produces an electric charge. and serviced every now and then. Loose connections
or faulty wires can just as easily spell disaster when it
“This PV charge creates an electric current (specifically, direct comes to solar and battery set-ups as with conventional
current or DC), which is captured by the wiring in solar panels. electricity.
This DC electricity is then converted to alternating current (AC)
by an inverter. AC is the type of electrical current used when you Check your homeowner’s insurance policy as well and
plug appliances into normal wall sockets.” ensure that you are covered for damages to (and from)
your solar set-up.
Once you have the panels, what’s next? As with any part of
your home’s infrastructure, proper maintenance is important to Solar power is clean(er) than fossil fuel, free(ish) after
enable you to get the most out of your solar panels. initial installation and as safe as you make it. The one
major upside of solar is that if it is correctly installed and
Clean panels are much more efficient maintained, it is more reliable than Eskom.
As counter-intuitive as it feels to go and “wash your roof”, solar
panels demand cleaning if they are to be kept in good condition. Remember: solar electricity is still electricity, and you
need to treat it with respect.
Think of them as large windows or lenses. Just as every speck
of dust on your window or camera lens obscures the view and This article was sourced directly from the internet –
influences your picture, any physical obstruction on the glass please see the link below:
of your solar panels keeps that “cell” from generating optimum https://www.homemakersonline.co.za/what-type-of-
electricity. maintenance-does-my-solar-panels-need/

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