by 180solarpower123 | Nov 15, 2023 | Solar Cleaning
Welcome to the sun-drenched expanses of Southern California, where solar panels gleam atop rooftops, harnessing the golden rays of California’s generous sun. These panels are more than just emblems of green energy; they’re investments in a sustainable future and the financial well-being of the homeowners who’ve installed them. Yet, the secret to unlocking the full potential of these solar arrays isn’t just in their technology but in their upkeep. Central to this is the practice of regular cleaning—a task often overlooked yet crucial to solar panel performance. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore why solar panel cleaning is indispensable for Southern California homeowners, from boosting efficiency and power output to combating the insidious threat of salt corrosion.
The Impact of Cleanliness on Solar Panel Efficiency:
Imagine your solar panels as the lungs of your home, breathing in sunlight and exhaling electricity. When these lungs are clogged with debris, their breath becomes shallow, and their vitality wanes. Dirt, leaves, bird droppings, and other detritus can form a film over the panels, significantly diminishing their efficiency. In fact, studies have shown that panels can lose more than 20% of their energy output due to accumulation of grime, with some reports from Southern California suggesting even higher figures in areas prone to dust and pollen. And this is not always a gradual decline but can happen quite rapidly, especially in areas with heavy road traffic, agricultural activities, or construction work, all of which are common throughout Southern California. Regular cleaning ensures that your solar panels can breathe freely, soaking up the sun’s energy without impediment.
Don’t let dirt reduce your solar efficiency. Schedule a cleaning with 180 Solar Power and experience the difference!
Boosting Power Output Through Regular Cleaning:
A solar panel’s power output is directly proportional to the amount of sunlight it can absorb. When the surface is dirty, less sunlight reaches the photovoltaic cells, and as a result, less electricity is generated. By keeping the panels clean, homeowners can ensure that they are getting the most power possible from their investment. This is not just a matter of peak performance on sunny days; it’s about maintaining a high baseline of energy production that translates to consistent savings on energy bills over time. In the competitive energy landscape of Southern California, where electricity prices are among the highest in the country, every kilowatt-hour counts, which is why clean solar panels are a homeowner’s best ally.
In fact, a recent article published by MIT News (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) stated that soiling can reduce the output of photovoltaic panels by as much as 30 percent, which would result in a significant reduction in energy production, especially when scaled up to the size of an entire residential solar array. The implications are clear: regular cleaning is not just about aesthetics; it’s about the bottom line—maximizing the return on your solar investment.
Extending the Life of Your Solar System with Proper Maintenance:
Solar panels are built to last, with many manufacturers offering warranties of 25 years or more. However, longevity is closely tied to maintenance. One of the major challenges that solar equipment encounters, especially in coastal areas like Southern California, is salt corrosion. Proximity to the ocean means that salt can accumulate on the panels, which, if left unchecked, can lead to corrosion of the aluminum frames and degradation of the panel surfaces. Regular cleaning washes away these corrosive salts, preventing damage and maintaining the structural integrity of the system. This not only extends the life of the solar panels but also protects the homeowner’s investment.
The corrosive nature of salt is not to be underestimated. When salt-laden sea breezes sweep across solar installations, they leave behind a residue that can attract and hold moisture against the panel surfaces. Over time, this moisture can penetrate seals and electrical components, leading to failures and costly repairs.
So now that we’ve established that cleaning is an important part of the regular maintenance of your solar system, the next question is how to go about it. Of course, a property owner could clean their solar panels themselves, however, it’s important to note that cleaning solar panels yourself can be dangerous. Not only will you be working at great heights on top of the roof, but you’ll be up there cleaning solar panels with slippery cleaning agents which increase the risk of falling off the roof further. Furthermore, there is the risk of working around a high voltage electrical power plant (which is what your solar system is), which is enhanced even further by feeding water directly onto it.
It is for those reasons that most Southern California homeowners hire professionals to perform this potentially dangerous task for them. However, there is another equally important reason for homeowners to hire professionals to perform this task. Using regular city or well water for cleaning solar panels leaves mineral deposits and scaling on them, which over time also reduces the power output of solar panels, just like any other debris will do.
Not all solar panel cleaning companies are the same:
Most Southern California solar panel cleaning companies are nothing more than glorified window washers, and many homeowners are not aware of the risk that places them in if an accident or other mishap occurs on their property, because most of these companies don’t have the licensing, insurance, knowledge or specialized training and equipment that is required to work on your roof and do the job safely and properly.
180 Solar Power is different. 180 Solar Power is a licensed, bonded and insured electrical contractor that brings the experience of thousands of actual solar installations and decades of experience to every job. The technicians that work on our customer’s homes are highly skilled and trained, and are often the same technicians that on any other day would be troubleshooting or installing a solar system for one of our other customers. They know the equipment on your house like the back of their hand, and they are covered by 180 Solar Power’s comprehensive insurance which protects them, us and most importantly you, if a mishap occurs. 180 Solar Power also uses a specialized deionized water system and cleaning solutions to prevent mineral deposits, and ensure a spot-free finish.
We have experience and expertise in maintaining and installing solar panels and inspecting solar components to make sure your system is operating at peak efficiency. Choosing a professional cleaning service like ours ensures that your solar panels receive the care they need without risks to your safety or property.
Conclusion:
The brilliance of a solar-powered home in Southern California lies not just in its ability to generate clean energy but also in the homeowner’s commitment to maintaining the system’s health. Regular cleaning of solar panels is a simple step you can take to ensure that your solar investment is performing at its best. It’s a practice that pays dividends in the form of higher efficiency, increased power output, a longer lifespan for your solar system, and most importantly, the highest possible return on your investment. Hiring a highly rated company like 180 Solar Power to perform this service for you guarantees that it will be done safely and done right. So, take care of your solar panels, and they will continue to light up your home with the power of the California sun for years to come.
Ensure your solar panels are always at their best. Book a cleaning session with 180 Solar Power now and secure the future of your solar energy!
by 180solarpower123 | Aug 31, 2023 | Uncategorized
GOOD NEWS FOR CALIFORNIA HOMEOWNERS
There is a good news bad news scenario that’s evolved in the solar industry in California. The good news is that over a million property owners in California have installed solar panels on their homes and businesses. However, the bad news is that hundreds if not thousands of solar contractors and installers who installed those systems have gone out of business, leaving tens of thousands of consumers holding the bag on completely non-functioning or only partially functioning solar systems. And there is an entirely separate class of consumers that purchased solar systems from contractors and installers that are still in business that simply refuse to respond to their customers’ desperate calls for service. This has most likely happened to you or someone you know.
So it is with great excitement that 180 Solar Power is pleased to announce that we are stepping in to fill the void with the creation of two new full-time service divisions to serve you! The first is a new solar panel cleaning and inspection division, and the second is a new repair and maintenance division.
On the repair and maintenance side, the professional trained technicians in our new repair and maintenance division have all the knowledge gained through years of solar and battery installation experience, but they no longer have solar and battery installations as their primary responsibility. As such, this dedicated new division will shorten response times, and improve outcomes for all of our customers. Microinverters, string inverters, solar panels, battery systems, EV chargers, solar panel removal and reinstallation, general wiring and electrical issues, and more, are all among the service issues we tackle.
On the cleaning and inspection side, routine inspection and cleaning of your solar system is crucial to maximizing the investment you made in it, and the power production you expect from it. Dirty solar panels, defective inverters and optimizers, or faulty diodes, cables and connectors are just a few of the common issues that cause power loss or failure in your solar system, and you might not even know its occurring. However, regular cleaning and inspection of your solar panels and equipment by a trained, experienced, solar technician can identify and fix problems; sometimes even heading them off before they occur.
Run of the mill window washers posing as “solar panel cleaners” can’t do that, and often cause more harm than good. By conducting our specialized 8 Point Inspection at every cleaning, our customers have the peace of mind knowing that not only is their solar system clean and safe, but also that their solar system is performing at its peak production capability. And the specialized deionized cleaning solution that we use provides maximum cleaning power without leaving a trace of mineral deposits or residue on your solar panels. All of which ensures that you achieve the highest possible return from the investment in your solar system.
Lastly, remember that our team has decades of experience designing and installing solar and battery systems throughout southern California, and we continue to do that today, and we also still offer our referral program. So if you or someone you know is thinking about adding a new solar and/or battery system make sure to contact us for a free quote. As always, we remain Local, Proven, Trusted!
by 180solarpower123 | May 17, 2021 | Uncategorized
By now you’ve seen the news about the largest gas pipeline in the US being shut down by a Russian based cyber-attack. It has affected 17 states, and as much as half of the east coast will run out of gas in a matter of days. More importantly, it has laid bare just how vulnerable the critical energy infrastructure of the US is, and the scariest part is that worst is yet to come.
The United States Department of Defense has been warning about attacks on critical US infrastructure for decades, and I’ve been writing about it consistently for years; cyber-attacks, hard attacks, domestic and/or foreign terrorist attacks, etc. Yet what have all the warnings yielded? Well, it’s a tale of two stories depending on whether you are examining the residential sector or the commercial/industrial sector.
In the commercial/industrial sector it has been taken very seriously, and virtually all Fortune 5,000 companies, data centers, military bases and government offices have installed emergency backup power systems and protocols. However, in the residential sector the warnings have too often resulted in little more than laughter, disregard, and ridicule. Yet as much as American consumers would like to remain in a state of denial about the very real threats that we face, such attacks can no longer be considered “Tin Hat” conspiracy theories. The threats are real, the consequences can and will be deadly, and no sector is more vulnerable to attack or will impact the country more severely than an attack on our country’s electric grid.
While you as an individual cannot stop these attacks from happening on a global basis, the good news is that you can defend and protect your personal home and business. There are companies that specialize in the installation and integration of emergency backup power systems to protect your home and business from threats to the electric power grid. 180 Solar Power is one of those companies.
Contact 180 Solar Power today, and let’s talk about hardening your home and business from threats to the electrical grid. We’ll conduct a free analysis, provide you with a custom designed solution and a free quote, all at no cost and no obligation to you. The only risk you have is in waiting because emergency backup power equipment is in short supply nationwide, and inventory will become even more scarce in the coming weeks and months. Contact 180 Solar Power now for your free analysis and quote before its too late.
by 180solarpower123 | Dec 15, 2020 | Uncategorized
On September 28, 2020 Fortune Magazine reported that almost 100,000 businesses had already been permanently closed this year because of government ordered COVID-19 lockdowns. They also reported that as many as 1 out of 5 businesses nationwide would not survive to the end of this year. Yelp data shows that 60% of overall business closures were permanent. The vast majority of the impacted businesses were, and continue to be, local family-owned businesses. When local family-owned businesses go under, not only are the families that own and run those businesses destroyed financially, emotionally and psychologically, but so too are the employees and the employees’ families who depended on those jobs for their livelihood and their survival. The impact is devastating.
Conversely, for big businesses and big box stores like Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and others, this has been one of the most prosperous times in history. Even in our industry, mega solar companies like Sunrun, Vivint, Tesla, and others are taking advantage of the situation to enrich themselves. However, none of these companies provide as high a quality of workmanship and accountability to their customers as a local family-owned business does, and they do virtually nothing for the local community. In fact, consumer feedback has shown time and again that the overall quality of their workmanship and their accountability to their customers is substantially lower than it is with a local family-owned business.
The team members of our local family-owned business, 180 Solar Power, have been proudly serving the southern California community for decades. As such, we ask you to please support 180 Solar Power and other highly regarded local family-owned businesses by patronizing, hiring and referring us to others. Not only will you get a higher quality of workmanship and accountability because of our close geographic proximity to you and our long-standing commitment to the community, but on top of that, when you support local family-owned businesses you enhance the quality, strength and vibrancy of the community you live and work in.
Another excellent way to support local family-owned businesses, other than patronizing, hiring and referring them, is by helping them spread their messages. Local family-owned businesses don’t have the advertising dollars to complete with the multi-million-dollar budgets of the big box companies, and therefore tend to focus on trying to spread their messages organically through social media and word of mouth. So even if you are not in immediate need of the services of a particular local family-owned business in your community, you can still help support them, and support the overall health of your local community by sharing their messages and social media content whenever possible.
Local family-owned businesses have long been the backbone of America, representing almost 50% of annual US GPD year over year. Furthermore, companies with fewer than 100 workers account for 98% of all US businesses, and companies with less than 20 workers represent an astounding 89% of all US businesses. Which is why, when local family-owned businesses thrive, we all benefit.
Speaking on behalf of myself and all the employees and families of 180 Solar Power, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support over the years, and we are thankful that we can count on you in the future. However, its never been more important than it is right now to do everything you can to support local family-owned businesses by considering them first in every purchasing decision that you make.
I wish everyone a wonderful, happy and healthy holiday season, and once again, thank you for your support!
by 180solarpower123 | Nov 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
By Peter Stern
I’m deep into my second decade installing solar in southern California. However, as electricity prices have skyrocketed, I’ve never seen it as bad as it’s become over the past 3 or 4 years. What am I referring to? Powerphobia – The fear of using one’s electric power.
Now, more than ever before, we run into homeowners that are absolutely terrified to turn on their air conditioning in the summer, or to turn on their heat in the winter. They fear running the pumps in their pools and Jacuzzis, and heating their hot tubs. They avoid entertaining guests at their homes during the holidays, or having visitors stay with them from out of town. The list goes on and on, and its all out of fear of how much it will cost them when their electric bill arrives at the end of the month; Powerphobia.
People are setting restrictions on their spouse’s and kid’s daily electricity use. They are setting alerts to remind themselves to only use their washers and dryers and dishwashers in the middle of the night. They are shutting down and sealing off entire sections of their house. They are turning over control of their home’s HVAC systems to their local utility company and allowing them to shut down their air conditioning at will. There are even some that are literally selling their family homes because of their fear that they won’t be able to afford their monthly utility bills anymore.
These are not exaggerations. It’s Powerphobia.
That is why years ago I coined the phrase “solar is a lifestyle decision”, and its never been truer than it is today. Even more than saving money, Solar & Storage is a decision about how you want to live. That’s because Solar & Storage gives you the freedom to use your electricity when you want, for whatever you want, and to choose how much you want to use, without concern about cost.
So now the only question is whether you’re going to continue to buy electricity from your local utility company and live like a goat herder in a cave deep in the mountains of Afghanistan (which is to say, without the luxury of using your electric powered appliances), or if you’re going to take advantage of the freedom that Solar & Storage offers you to live more comfortably, as you once did, and enjoy all of the modern luxuries that are available to you. Ironically, it costs less anyway, so it would be foolish not to advantage of the more luxurious lifestyle that Solar & Storage offers.
Most of the systems that we install for our customers pay for themselves in a few short years, however, they can provide power for decades beyond that. And for those who choose to install Solar & Storage with no money down, as many people do, the monthly payments are usually a fraction of what you’d pay to your utility company, and the monthly payments never increase, unlike utility provided electricity which increases every year. Additionally, once a Solar & Storage system is fully paid for you can enjoy years, and in many cases, decades of free electricity beyond that.
Over the years I’ve helped thousands of homeowners cure themselves of their Powerphobia, and free themselves from the primitive lifestyle they’ve been trapped in by highly electricity prices. I’ve helped them live a more comfortable and luxurious lifestyle, and I’ve shown them how to do it while at the same time saving them money. You no longer have to be a victim of Powerphobia and live a miserly lifestyle. Contact my office today for a free, no pressure quote for Solar & Storage for your home or business, and let us show you how to cure your Powerphobia, and recapture the lifestyle you once enjoyed!
