If you have decided to make the investment in solar panels it's important to ensure that the panels have enough light to work effectively. Even at their most efficient, solar panels only work at an efficiency of 12-15% so it's important to allow them as much light as possible.

Here are some issues that can reduce your panels efficiency, and what you can do as a homeowner to avoid these problems.

Shady tree

A shady tree can restrict the light to solar panels, especially at sometimes of the day or seasons of the year. If you are just new to the house it's worth researching the trees in your yard before deciding on the placement of your solar panels. Don't forget to check the neighbour's yards as well, as trees on their property can easily impinge the light onto your property.

If you do have a tree that is affecting light flow on your property, you can always get the tree trimmed or removed by a company like Kingdoms Tree Care. If it's on your neighbours' property you can negotiate with them to pay the fees to get their tree removed or trimmed although they may not necessarily approve, especially if the tree was already there before the panels where installed. This is why it is so important to do your research into the future size and foliage density of surrounding trees before your panels are installed.

Property developments

If your neighbours decide to develop their property, extra height can reduce the hours that your panels get full sunshine. Any property development that affects your property will require your approval before it gets approved by the local council, so be sure to carefully review any proposals you get from council asking for your approval. If the height looks like it it might affect the efficiency of your solar panels you can issue an objection and the property developer can tweak their designs to overcome the objection.

Keeping them clean

Bird droppings and seeds and fruits from overhangings can create clingy mess that can limit the amount of light that reaches the solar panels. You can reduce this by trimming branches or removing the tree that is housing the birds or growing the fruit. It's also worth planning some annual cleaning of your panels to keep them at maximum efficiency.

As you can see, creating a clear area around your solar panels to allow light to hit is vitally important for the overall success and efficiency of solar panels. Clearing local trees can be very important in this process.