I. Introduction
     a. How Solar Panels Work
     b. Future of Solar Panels
  II. Why Solar Panels?
     a. Global Benefits
     b. Personal Benefits
  III. Types of Solar Panels
     a. Types
     b. Efficiency
  IV. Grid Tie & Off Grid
     a. Grid Tie
     b. Off The Grid
  V. How Many Solar Panels?
     a. Reducing Electricity Usage
     b. Figuring Out How Many
  VI. How to Find Best Price
    a. Best Price
    b. Payback Estimate
  VII. Pre Installation
    a. Permits
  VIII. Installation
    a. Ground Mounted Panels
    b. Roof Mounted
    c. Thin Film
    d. Where to Face Solar Panels
  IX. Apply For Rebates
    a. Finding and Submitting
  X. Maintenance
    a. Upkeep
    b. Testing Panels
  XI. Feedback & Questions
  XII. Solar Vocabulary

IX. Solar Panel Maintenance

One of the great advantages of solar panels is they require very little maintenance. Just rinse them off with a hose about twice a month and that should be good. If you live in a place where it rains on a regular basis then you can do it less then that. If you live in a desert region that gets really dusty or have new construction around your house you may have to rinse them off a little more. Thats pretty much all there is to it. Solar panels are tested for high winds and hail so you don't need to worry about that, plus they have warranties for 20+ years.

Testing Solar Panels

If you are wanting to test your solar panels and make sure they are working properly, you can do the following:

First, you'll need to pick up a multimeter. You can pick them up for around $20. Keep in mind you'll want to test your panels on a nice sunny day.

Take your solar panel out into the sunlight. At this point it will not be connected to anything. Point the panel directly towards the sun.

Measure the voltage, and make sure it is around the amount of voltage that it says on the back of the solar panel or the manual. Keep in mind it's not always completely accurate and having the numbers a little below what it's suppose to be is ok. Now switch your voltmeter to current and measure the current.

Multiply the voltage times the current to calculate the power. The number you come up with should be close to what the wattage of what your solar panel is. So for example if you are testing a 200W panel, you'll have a voltage of approx 56 and your amps let say are 3.5. You will multiple 56x3.5 which equals 196. Like I said it's normal to be a little bit under the wattage, so this solar panel would test out ok.

Part X. Feedback-->