Do My Solar Panels Need Cleaning

Some manufacturers and solar panel users report a jump in efficiency of 30 percent or more after a cleaning.

Do my solar panels need cleaning.

The best way to figure out if your panels need cleaning is to assess the above conditions. So the dirtier this coating becomes the less efficient the solar panel will be. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say.

Keeping solar panels clean can also improve their efficiency. One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. Finally cleaning your solar cells extends their life. Check with your solar panel manufacturer to find their recommendations for cleaning and what cleaning solution they recommend.

In the uk the vast majority of domestic solar panel arrays don t need regular heavy duty cleaning thanks to the high levels of rainfall. Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. Generally in the uk unless your solar panels have bird droppings on them you shouldn t need to clean your solar panels. There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though.

Clean the surface of the solar panel with a soft cloth or sponge. In fact the renewable energy hub says solar panel cleaning is an absolute must if you want to get the best possible performance from your panels. In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains.

Fill a bucket or spray bottle with warm water and soap no other special equipment is needed. In other parts of the world where rainfall levels are lower build up of dust and dirt can present more of an issue and panels may need to be cleaned more often to prevent a significant drop in output. You do not have to clean the wiring underneath. Show extra caution if cleaning your solar panels requires you to climb up on the roof.

Solar panel cleaning is a great chance to check your panels over and make sure they are in good condition. Generally cleaning your solar panels isn t something you need to bother with. It s a good idea to keep track of your energy output before and after a cleaning because that alone can be enough motivation to get your panels cleaned. Follow those guidelines and you ll be ensuring that your can run as efficiently as possible.

However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. The photovoltaic cells that make up your solar panels will most likely be covered by a glass coating to protect them. The national renewal energy laboratory indicated that cleaning solar panels are much more needed in areas with infrequent rainfall like southern california.