You can produce a good amount of electricity with solar panels.
Just how much you produce though depends on a few important factors.
The first and most obvious consideration is how much sunlight your region gets.
If you live in a desert area or at a higher altitude you're in luck.
For those in other parts of the country, be aware that the brighter the sun, the better.
In order for your solar panels to harvest enough sunlight to produce a good amount of electricity, you need full, bright, shadow-free sun.
Your panels won't generate as much power if you live in an area where cloudy weather is the norm.
The biggest problem that homeowners face with solar panels is shadow.
Even a very small amount of shade can dramatically affect output.
When a module or part of a module is shaded, voltage output becomes very low.
There will be times of the day when shadows are inevitable, like early or late in the day.
When the sun is at an extreme angle, little power is being generated anyway so this is not a concern.
But it's important to avoid shade during the prime hours usually between 10:00 a.
m.
and 3:00 p.
m.
Panels should be installed on mounts that are angled toward the sun.
By doing that you can ensure that you are getting the most production from the modules.
If possible make an adjustment to the angle of your mounting rack, on a seasonal basis.
That's because the sun's position is different in summer than it is in winter.
Finally, it's important to properly maintain your solar panels.
The good news is that because there are no moving parts there is really very little maintenance required.
Basically, you just have to keep them clean.
But it's important to do that on a regular basis.
Rain will do the job for you if it falls regularly and for a few hours at a time.
But if not, simply hose the panels off to keep dirt from building up.
Be sure to only hose them off in morning or evening when the panels are not as hot as they would be during midday hours, to avoid problems.