“Be cautious about new products that have just arrived on the market,” says Mark Edwards, co-owner of NuLight Solutions. “One common problem with inexpensive, imported products is their aluminum and steel are simply incompatible. They come in contact with each other and electrolysis occurs, which corrodes those parts and often results in a recall. You should buy products from people who’ve been in the industry for a while.”
When installing solar powered devices, assembly and manufacturing quality is critical to the product’s lifespan. “Q-Cell brand solar panels are some of the best,” says Mr. Edwards. “Other solutions might be less expensive, but they aren’t comparable. Solar cells need to be in perfect alignment. If you look at the cells, you should be able to see nice, straight lines. If an assembly is rushed, they don’t line up, and over time the variance can cause wear at different rates, reducing efficiency and product life.”
When asked for a skylight maintenance tip, Mr. Edwards recommends using Rain-X. “It’s made for your car windshield, but it works great on skylights and the solar panels on ventilation fans. It keeps them clean and operating at optimum capacity, and it prevents dirt and bird droppings from sticking to the glass.”
