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
