Photovoltaic installations are currently one of the resources available to consumers to reduce the cost of their electricity bill. Once the decision is made to invest in them for homes, buildings or businesses, they must be kept in good condition. Therefore, a question that any user can ask themselves is: How to protect the photovoltaic panels of a solar energy installation?
To answer this question, the first thing to comment on is that maintaining solar panels is simple. AND its lifespan is long, about 15 to 20 years approximately, which is even better when the solar panels are well protected against bad weather such as storms, snow or hail.
Especially in a country like Spain, where there are no phenomena like hurricanes or cyclones, which devastate other countries. Storms are more common here, freezing in times like winter – when the plates are still generating electricity – or strong winds when there are occasional storms.
With this starting point, we at want to provide some simple ideas on how PV panels are designed to be safe and protected from the factory. That is, the users self-consumption in homes with solar energy would hardly need to take additional measures beyond those that producers and manufacturers have already taken into account.
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5 tips to protect photovoltaic panels
Below we give you 5 tips or keys to protect your PV installation, which do not require much care, but it is important to keep the following points in mind.
Starting with the following: the best is includes the photovoltaic installation in the home insurance policy so that, in the rare event that you suffer any damage, you have coverage from the insurance company.
1.- Protection of solar panels against storms
The first part of the article we will discuss is the protection of photovoltaic installations against meteorological phenomena such as the storms In this case, as a user, you should know that the boards are made with electrical protection against storms, so you don\’t have to take extra measures to avoid damage.
But you can always take extra precautions, and one of them is lightning rod installation in blocks of buildings or in houses. In this way, the area will be protected from lightning when there are electrical storms, protecting the installation even when the lightning does not strike directly, but strikes nearby. This option is very good to start with a more aggressive phenomenon than rain or snow.
2.- Protection of solar panels on rainy, snowy or frosty days
The second option we want to deal with in this article is protection of solar panels in rainy days, snow, hail or frost when there are days with very low temperatures – in this article we give more details about How much electricity do solar panels produce in winter?-.
In this case, if you think you should protect the plates with tarps or otherwise, you are not. Covering them with any kind of barrier does not contribute to their care, but to their poor performance by preventing them from capturing sunlight. Therefore, you do not need to take any measures to protect the solar panels in these cases.
Photovoltaic panels are waterproof y are covered by a glass plate, so its design already protects them from these adverse weather phenomena. So it is very difficult for rain or snow – even hail – to damage them, especially if the wiring components are well protected. This is an important point that solar panel installation companies appreciate and take care of in detail.
Of course, when there is snow accumulation it is necessary to check that it has not remained on the installation and, if there is, it is removed.
3.- Trim the vegetation near the photovoltaic installation
Third, how should take care of the condition of the solar panels if there is vegetation around? This point is especially important if they are placed on the ground in garden or tree areas, in the countryside, as well as on the facades of buildings or houses with trees nearby.
The protection of the photovoltaic panels in this case is simple: what you have to do is cut down trees or shrubs near the unit to keep it clean and in the best possible condition. What will not be necessary, on the other hand, if the installation was carried out on the roofs of houses.
We note that the correct installation of the photovoltaic cells is with an inclination that allows energy capture. And for them to work, even on cloudy days, you need to be sure that there are no barriers that prevent the board from receiving the impact of the sun\’s rays. If there are plants or trees that block sunlight, they should be cut.
This is the responsibility of the council if the plates are in the street or in public areas, and of the owners of houses or gardens in installations in houses or buildings.
4.- Protection against birds or birds
Birds and birds make their nests in high places and not only in trees, it is normal to see them in buildings – in antennas, for example – or in church bell towers. So what should you do if there are bird nests near your PV installation?
First of all, it is not usual for the nest to be on top of the solar panel itself, because its surface is slippery and inclined, as said before. To which it must be added that its operating temperature is above room temperature, which prevents them from perching on them.
Even so, If there is any trace of dirt generated by birds or birds, the rain itself cleans it. And when it is not raining, you need to check that it is not stuck to the surface of the stool plate and, if there is, clean it so as not to affect its performance.
5.- Strong anchoring to resist the wind
Finally, we comment that photovoltaic installations also withstand the wind, even strong gusts, because the anchor is strong and durable. In this way, the installation process is already safe in itself to guarantee that the structure does not suffer damage due to wind.
Photovoltaic systems can handle wind gusts of over 200 km/h, speeds that are not common in countries like Spain.
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Protecting solar panels: a simple and lasting task
As seen in this article, the protection of solar panels against weather phenomena and the action of animals or vegetation is simple, fast and favors the long useful life of the installation.
Because in most cases it is the design of the panel components that protects the entire installation. One more reason, in addition to environmental sustainability and economic savings, to opt for solar photovoltaic energy as a method of generating electricity in homes and businesses.
