Besides checking your inverter to see if the green light is on, cleaning solar panels is the only maintenance you need to keep your solar power system performing at its best. Clean solar panels are able to make the most use of the sun’s rays. The best part about this is that you really only need to do it once a year. Most people choose spring. Consider getting experts Although the average home handyman can easily clean his solar panels, there are some safety concerns, particularly if the panels are very high up or if getting to them is awkward. Professionals will have all the OSHA-approved safety equipment, so even if they do slip, they’ll be protected against falls. If you suffer from vertigo, fear of heights or are a trifle shaky on your legs, getting help is the best solution. As you’ll see, cleaning solar panels is a really simple process, so it won’t cost you a lot to get help. What you need The most important thing is to wear the right kind of shoes. They need to be sturdy and have a good grip, even in wet conditions. The last thing you want is to slip and fall, and you will be spraying water (and maybe even a little soap) around. You also need a broom or scrubber with soft bristles and a long handle. Choose something that would be fine to use on your car. Scratching your solar panels will affect how well they work, so you’re looking for non-scratch cleaning materials. A window cleaning squeegee with a long handle makes drying off your solar panels easy and helps to remove smudges and streaks. Soap isn’t absolutely necessary, but if there are bird droppings or tree gum spills, using a mild soap will ensure that you end up with really clean solar panels. But do note that you want a mild soap. If you’re not sure what to use, call up your local solar power experts to find out what soap they’d recommend. You’ll also need a water source, if you can get your garden hose onto the roof, that will be the most convenient solution. Use a nozzle that you can shut off when the hose isn’t in use. If you have access to rain water, using it as a final rinse before drying will limit water marks. Time of day The time of day you choose for washing your solar panels is important. You don’t want to pour cold water onto them when they are hot, as they can crack, and hot panels also dry too quickly, leaving water marks behind. The best time to choose is early in the morning while your panels are still relatively cool. Time to get started! Washing your solar panels is a lot like washing your car. You’re just a whole lot higher off the ground, so be very, very careful about slips, trips or falls.
- First, brush off any loose dust so that you won’t have to wash it off later.
- Now spray the panels down with water. If you are using soap, the easiest way to apply it is with a spray bottle.
- Now use your long handled scrubber starting at the top of the panel and working your way down. As long as the brush isn’t too coarse, you don’t have to be especially careful. Solar panels are pretty tough!
- Last but not least, dry off your solar panels using the long-handled squeegee.
That’s it! Job’s done for another year! If you live in an area with particularly dusty conditions, you might want to spray down your solar panels with a bit of water from time to time, remembering to do so when they are cool, but it shouldn’t really be necessary to do so. In fact, even without any rainfall, experts found that the average solar panel doesn’t lose much more than 7-8% of its efficiency through a year’s accumulation of dust. Clean solar panels are more efficient, and giving them their annual wash is all the maintenance they really need – unless your home has been through a dust-storm! Would you like to know if Solar Panels are the right investment for your home or business? Let us create a free, fully customized proposal for you. Within our proposal, we will provide you all of the information you need to make an informed decision! Call us at 1855-60-1SOLAR (601-7652) or visit our site at www.1SolarSolution.com
