Cleaning Solar Panels: How to Do It Right?
Cleaning solar panels is a controversial topic. Some people think that solar panels don't need to be cleaned at all.🧼 Others even recommend special cleaning products for solar panels. The reality is that proper cleaning is beneficial, but be careful, a cleaning Done wrong could be worse for your solar panels. Don’t panic, we give you all our tips for cleaning your solar panels properly in our article.
Once you have installed your solar panels, you will find that they require virtually no maintenance. Since many factors affect the energy produced by your solar panels, their cleaning is a simple solution. Over time, solar panels become covered in pollution, dust, dirt, and bird droppings. These obstructions block sunlight and reduce energy production.⚡️
Let's consider this question: When and how to clean solar panels?
Sometimes rain is not enough to wash your solar panels.
Some time ago, Google experts conducted an experiment: in a solar farm in California, panels were not washed. After 15 months, they were finally cleaned and their production instantly increased.
These panels were installed on the ground, but experts suggested that rain might be enough to keep the panels on the roof clean. However, not everyone agrees on this last point. Rain does wash away most of the debris and dirt, but not all of it.
The most obvious parallel is a dirty car: at some point you can't rely on rain anymore, you have to take it to the car wash. Dust and debris alone don't cause a huge loss of efficiency. Maybe a 5% decrease at most . But some studies show that customers who have not washed their solar panels at all should expect a substantial drop in efficiency within 2 to 3 years of purchase because of these layers of mud or other dirt. After all, solar panel systems do require some maintenance to extend their lifespan, which exceeds 20 to 25 years.
How often should you clean solar panels?
It really depends on where you live. and some Weather conditions . Solar panels installed in windy and dusty areas may require more frequent inspection and cleaning. Some areas with low tilt panels and in a very dusty area require monthly washing (especially in the summer), while others may only require annual washing.
How to clean solar panels?
It's a bit like washing windows. There are basically two ways to decide if your solar panel system needs to be cleaned or not.
The first is the physical examination : if there is a lot of debris, mud, bird stains, it is time to get to work.
The second is by the through a solar panel monitoring system available in your inverter or microinverter monitoring. If you notice that the performance of your panels has dropped, dirt may be the cause.
Choose a cool, cloudy day to wash your solar panels. Just like you would wash your windows. Because when it's hot, the water evaporates too quickly and leaves residue. Also, solar panels don't like sudden temperature changes. Applying cold water to them on a hot day can cause them to crack. In the early hours of the morning, the morning dew softens the mud for you, making the job a little easier.
If you like this article, you will be interested in our article on the life cycle of solar panels .
The whole procedure can be summarized as follows:
- Turn off your solar panel system , both DC and AC systems.
- Gather your materials : water, equipment, possible cleaning products. Place them on the roof or nearby if you are cleaning the panels from the ground.
- Warning! Before starting the process of cleaning your solar panels, remember that you should never walk on your panels.
- Spray down the solar panels. Take a hose and clean off all the debris. Sometimes that's all it takes.
- Rub the places where water was not enough with a brush or sponge. Be gentle. Start at the top, as the dirty water goes down.
- Rinse . It is best to use filtered or demineralized water so it does not leave streaks. You can use a squeegee to remove excess water, just as you would when cleaning a window.
- Then leave the panels dry and turn them back on in 30 to 45 minutes.
In the winter, a light layer of snow should not be a problem for a solar panel. If your roof is sloped, the snow should slide off it anyway. That said, a thick layer can lead to a decrease in efficiency. In the fall, fallen leaves become a problem. The best solution to this problem is a leaf blower.
If you don’t want to deal with cleaning your solar panels, don’t panic. There are companies that will clean solar panels for you. If you choose to use a solar panel cleaning service, make sure they are insured, in case there are any accidents.
