Lately…we have been asked this question
Posted on August 30th, 2010 by Nick
Question: What can you do when snow or ice is on your solar panels? Folks have asked us a lot of questions around this topic especially with this year’s snow storm that broke records along the east coast.
Several recommendations we have heard and also things to consider have been listed below. They are just opinions thrown together and have no bearing by us in rank. We encourage anyone with this type of issue to first contact their installer or licensed solar contractor and/or professional.
1. Make sure that the panels on your roof are tilted. We’ve heard anything from 15 to 40 degrees. If your solar roof is adjustable, you are in much better shape. You can slowly hope for the ice to slide right off as the outdoor temperature increases during the day.
2. You can hit the ice off with a soft football-like object. One blogger came up with this idea. Make sure it’s soft and that you avoid hitting your neighbor.
Please avoid rocks or anything heavy as to not damage the panels.
3. Use a garden hose or roof rake to clean off any debris. This is the commonly used method until technology improves. If you are using either one, please make sure that the panels are cleaned throughly without smear as best as you can. Avoid damaging the panels if you are doing it yourself. Please contact a professional solar contractor.
4. If you live in a snowy area and are considering installing solar panels, you might want to consider installing a ground mount system. That way you can easily wipe anything off by avoiding far to reach places.
5. Snow may not be a bad thing during the winter. Several sources are saying that snow can actually make the panels more effective. Snow from the surrounding ground can reflect light back to the panels. The cold weather also makes the panels efficient from a molecular prospective.
6. Any guess on technology? There are smart technologies already out there. One company in Germany has created solar panels with self cleaning instruments similar to a wind shield wiper. The language of the article was in German so it was hard for us to translate. We will see if they can translate it for us. If you find any technology out there please feel free to share with us.
7. Wait for the snow to melt. If you are in the part of the world where one day it snows and the next day it’s 80 degrees Fahrenheit, then you are in luck.
8. Find out if your contractor has a maintenance package and/or program. They may be able to provide you with an expert who can assist you with the up keeping of your panels.
More green info? Also enjoy some very cool videos at sobukaTV for more emerging green news. Sobuka can also help you find a green contractor in your area. Search with your zip code and also find out which rebates you may qualify for in your area.
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Tags: solar panels, winter
This entry was posted on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 10:11 pm and is filed under Do it Yourself, Featured Content, Solar Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
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