How to keep your solar units working

Every year I receive several calls about small solar powered energizers not keeping their battery charged.

In order to keep the weight down to make them easy to move, they use a very small battery. This battery in some cases will only have the ability to run the unit for a few days without enough sunlight. These small units must have full sunlight to work correctly.

Problems that people have had with their solar panels not charging are:

  • Placing the unit along a gravel road, resulting in too much dust covering the panel.
  • Placing the unit too close to a tree or building so that it’s only in the full sun for a short time, then shaded.
  • Birds using the unit as a perch and the panel becoming covered with droppings.
  • Setting the unit on the ground next to the yard and the lawn mower covering it with grass clippings.
  • Leaves covering it in the fall, or snow in the winter.

Solution: Keep the panels clean and in the open and your units will run for years.

By Gordon Shelangoski, Premier sales consultant

from Premier’s August/September 2010 Newsletter