A Guide On How To Run Solar Power Efficiently In Your Housing Society

As a responsible member of a solar power housing society’s committee, you got all the residents to agree and managed to install a solar system in your society – now what?

As somebody new to solar energy and the working of a solar system, you might find yourself at a loss sometimes.

It’s natural to get overwhelmed. After all, installing a solar system is different from running solar power efficiently; especially, when the power is being generated for an entire society, not your home.

We came up with the idea to enlighten all members of a solar power housing society’s committee with some basics that’ll help understand how to utilize maximum power from a solar system.

Curious? Want to ensure that the cost of installation breaks even sooner? If so, continue reading this post and you’ll have all the answers you need.

5 Things to know in order to run solar power efficiently in your society

Installing a solar system is the beginning of a beautiful money-saving and environment-saving journey!

Congratulations that you, an aware member of a solar power housing society’s committee, were able to nudge everyone in your society towards a cleaner, greener way of living. But, your job is far from over yet.

You still have to ensure that the solar power being generated is used wisely and that there’s no wastage. It’s also always a good idea to learn how to maximize the yield from solar panels.

Wondering how you could possibly do that? Those are the things we have discussed in the pointers below. Have a look!

Understand the basics about a solar system before anything else

When talking about a housing society, we’re talking about a solar system with a capacity of hundreds of kilowatts.

The responsibility is huge; hence, every member of a solar power housing society’s committee must know the basics about a solar system so that it functions properly.

Here, we’ve listed the most important pointers to fill you in with the most crucial info:

Although solar panels generate power between 9 AM to 4 PM, the maximum energy is generated during the peak hours (11 AM to 2 PM). During these hours, closely monitor the rooftop. Any shadows from trees or surrounding objects should be immediately taken care of.
Yes, it’s fascinating to have a functional solar system on the rooftop, but don’t let it become a picnic spot for the residents; especially, unsupervised children. Solar panels shouldn’t be manhandled. Scratches affect the efficiency of solar panels seriously.
Dusty solar panels produce a lot less power than they’re capable of. This is why it’s important that they’re timely cleaned with water. Professional cleaning is something you shouldn’t miss.
Using harsh soaps and scrubs to clean solar panels is a big mistake.

Switch to the latest technology lighting system

Your solar system might be working at its maximum efficiency, but if the lighting system in the parking area, floors, and all other common areas isn’t upgraded, you’ll lose more units than necessary.

You must get the CFL lighting system replaced with Smart LED lights that consume a lot less power.

Keep an eye on the inverter

Without the inverter working properly, you will lose a lot of power that the panels might be generating.

It’s very important that the solar inverter is at its best at all times.

Make sure that the inverter is flashing a green light always.
Make sure that you shade the inverter from heat.
Moisture and cobwebs can also reduce the efficiency of a solar inverter. Be mindful that you place the inverter strategically in a well-ventilated and moisture-free area.

Learn the basics about net-metering

Decoding a solar bill should not be exhaustive if you learn the basics about the net meter.

The net meter is also known as a bidirectional meter. Since it’s the solar power housing society’s committee that convinces everyone to install a solar system, it’s important that all the members, including you, understand net metering to get the basics right.

Here are the basics,

A net meter keeps a record of:

The units exported to the grid
The units imported from the grid

A solar bill is generated accordingly: if you exported more than you imported, the discom pays you for the units you supplied. If you imported more than you exported, you pay the discom for the extra units you imported.

Take professional cleaning of solar panels seriously

We did mention that a thorough professional cleaning and checkup are very important. Let us now spill out all the beans and explain the hows and whys!

You need experts to come to visit the rooftop, examine and inspect the wiring, and get rid of debris like bird droppings and leaves.

Solar experts from among the most reliable solar companies in the region, will professionally clean the solar panels. Purpose? To get rid of all the settled dirt and dust without scratching the surface of the solar panels.

The next question that almost all solar power housing society committee members have is how often should professionals clean the solar panels. We have it covered for you.

The frequency depends on how dusty the surrounding area is. Usually, a professional clean-up every month is enough. When conditions are super dusty, a fortnightly cleaning might be required. When selecting the most suitable electricity plans for your needs, it is crucial to take into account your electricity requirements and thoroughly explore the offerings provided by discount Power rates.

Keep in mind that if you procrastinate the cleaning of solar panels beyond 3 months, they will yield 30% to 40% less power than what they’re capable of.

The very reason that installation companies offer AMC services is that maintenance and cleaning of the solar system are important.

Conclusion:

The pressure on the solar power housing society’s committee is immense: the corpus that was used to install the solar system was a hefty investment. The committee becomes answerable to residents.

That’s why it’s very important that the solar power housing society committee members are aware of the ways to optimize the solar energy being generated.

We hope that with the help of this guide, you now know how you will be able to run solar power in your housing society in the most efficient manner.