Do You Need To Clean Your Solar Panels

Use your garden hose to spray down the panels.

Do you need to clean your solar panels.

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. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. Rooftop solar panels get dirty primarily from wind blown dust and pollen.

Solar panels can become incredible hot in sunshine. In some cases this will be enough to get them clean but sometimes you ll need to do a more thorough cleaning. 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. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly.

They might have specific recommendations. As panels get dirtier their output declines. In most situations panels are self cleaning and do not need to be cleaned. How to clean those dusty dirty solar panels 1.

First try if your garden hose. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water or cleaning solution designed for solar panels. Use a soft cloth or sponge and wipe them down with the soap solution and then rinse them with the hose. 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.

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. If you ve got a lot of bird droppings on your panels rain might not wash these off very readily so it s a good idea to clean them off. One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. Birds are usually not a problem unless your last name is hitchcock and you live in bodega bay.

Brushing any loose dirt off before spraying them with water will make the squeegeeing process quicker and easier. In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. Be sure to check your panel manufacturer instructions for shutting down the system before cleaning if necessary. 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.

A third issue is bird droppings which if heavy enough could block enough sunlight to make a cleaning necessary. Either clean your solar panels in the morning afternoon or pick a. This can be organised through an accredited technician. How to clean solar panels the first thing you want to do is to check with your solar panel manufacturer.

After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains. Avoid using water with high mineral content. There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though.