How to clean your solar panels.
Washing solar panels.
They found that tilted panels don t require cleaning as much as flat panels.
The same study also found that rain is not a satisfying way of cleaning solar panels.
Olson recommends homeowners use a soft bristle brush with an extended handle like the type used to clean off an rv.
Simply put if you can clean a window you can clean a solar panel.
But first let s look at when and why you might need to invest in solar panel cleaning equipment or hire a professional cleaning service.
Among solar panel cleaning products the most common is a cleaning kit.
These kits include multiple extension poles carrying bags brushes cloths hose interconnections and more.
When cleaning solar panels it is essential to use the right cleaning equipment.
However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary 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.
Solar panels that were cleaned professionally had a 12 higher output of electricity compared to those cleaned by rain.
Cleaning solar panels that had been in operation for 15 months doubled their output of electricity.
Soaps can leave a film or residue that not only shades panels like the dirt that was just washed off but it can also encourage dirt to stick and build up faster said daniel green bland.
Google did a study on the need to clean solar panels.
The most effective way to clean your solar panels is with a hose and a bucket of soapy water.
This is where cleaning solar panels may have to be done.
California based solar installer and maintenance provider bland company never uses a cleaning agent on solar panels instead relying on deionized water and a rotating brush system to wash solar panels.
Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power.
We ll get to the best way to clean your solar panels in a minute.
Essentially in the same manner you would wash your car at home.
Solar panels are generally self cleaning but in particularly dry areas or where panel tilt is minimal dust and other substances such as bird droppings can build up over time and impact on the amount electricity generated by a module.
And don t forget to choose an environmentally friendly soap.
The glass is strong but using abrasive materials can scratch the surface of the glass reducing its performance or even damaging the module.
Check with your solar installers and providers to determine if there is any information about solar panel cleaning recommendations and dos or don ts when it comes to cleaning your system.
Cleaning ones solar panels is not hard at all.
Fortunately cleaning solar panels is easy for ground mounted systems or for rooftop solar systems on a typical one story house.
They may look scary and technical but in fact the technology is securely sealed inside the solar panel.
Solar panel cleaning kits.
Grime and bird poop doesn t need to cover an entire panel to have an effect.
