Do You Need To Clean Your Solar Panels

In most cases occasional rain will be enough to naturally and safely keep your solar panels clean and free of debris that could lower production.

Do you need to clean your solar panels.

Be sure to check your panel manufacturer instructions for shutting down the system before cleaning if necessary. In most situations panels are self cleaning and do not need to be cleaned. There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly.

Rooftop solar panels get dirty primarily from wind blown dust and pollen. Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power. However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. However if they are located on the roof then you must use a soft brush coupled with a long extension to make the work easier and safer from the ground.

Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. A third issue is bird droppings which if heavy enough could block enough sunlight to make a cleaning necessary. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say.

A small amount of soiling say a light dusty film may only cause a 5 percent output decline. Brushing any loose dirt off before spraying them with water will make the squeegeeing process quicker and easier. They might have specific recommendations. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water or cleaning solution designed for solar panels.

Either clean your solar panels in the morning afternoon or pick a. If your solar panels are installed on the ground then you can opt to use a simple sponge to clean them up or a soft brush as well. Solar panels can become incredible hot in sunshine. If you do find it necessary to clean the panels and wish to carry out the task yourself contact the installer to find out if you should take any special precautions aside from not falling off the roof.

In some cases this will be enough to get them clean but sometimes you ll need to do a more thorough cleaning. How to clean solar panels the first thing you want to do is to check with your solar panel manufacturer. In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. How to clean those dusty dirty solar panels 1.

Birds are usually not a problem unless your last name is hitchcock and you live in bodega bay. However if you can see build up on the panels or if your bills or monitoring tools suggest a decrease in the efficiency it may be worth considering a system health check or clean. As panels get dirtier their output declines. Avoid using water with high mineral content.

After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains. Use a soft cloth or sponge and wipe them down with the soap solution and then rinse them with the hose. First try if your garden hose.