When you invest your hard-earned money into solar panels, one of the most commonly reported benefits is lack of maintenance. Compared to other forms of green energy generation, solar panels are supposed to be among the easiest to care for. With that in mind, you might have one lingering question: Should I clean my solar panels?
We understand it might be easy to feel like you can simply leave your solar panels to it. However, over time, solar panels that have not been cleaned will suffer from some drawbacks. Let’s take a look at why you should make cleaning your solar panels a priority moving forward.
Should I Clean My Solar Panels? Yes, You Should!
The simplest answer to this question is a firm yes. Cleaning your solar panels should be part of your home maintenance from now on. Why do solar panels need to be cleaned, though?
The simplest reason is that they become covered in debris over time, which can limit efficiency. The build-up of dust, pollen, and general debris floating in the air can lead to your solar panels being blocked. This means they become less efficient, as the sunlight is not getting through to the panel underneath. Instead, it’s partially covered by the debris, reducing effectiveness over time.
If you have solar panels and they are not contributing as much as they used to in terms of energy output, it might be worth having them cleaned. A solar panel cleaning service can do the job for you if you do not wish to climb atop your roof to clean the panels yourself. This should increase the efficiency once again.
If your solar panels are cleaned and energy efficiency does not return, you could have a mechanical issue with the solar panels, which means they need to be worked on by a technician. The first thing to rule out, though, is the cleaning aspect.
Does Cleaning Solar Panels Improve Efficiency?
As noted above, yes! Solar panels that are clean and pristine will take in more light than those covered in dust, dirt, dropping, and debris. Cleaning solar panels regularly can be a great way to help make sure that your panels are still producing the same energy performance as you would have expected.
Will The Rain Clean My Solar Panels?
If only life were so simple!
Yes, rain will help eliminate some of the dust and debris build-up on your solar panels. Much like your home’s windows, though, solar panels will not be cleaned by rain alone. Some of the build-up will become too thick to be washed away by rain. To rely upon rain alone to clean solar panels, you would need heavy rain to fall daily–which would also impact performance!
Rain will not be enough to help ensure that your solar panels are 100% clean. Instead, You should look for cleaning solutions that can get your panels back up and running and new.
What If I Don’t Clean My Solar Panels?
Then, you can look forward to a gradual but consistent drop-off in performance and efficiency. Dirty solar panels can lose as much as one-quarter of their efficiency, so it should not be ignored.
If you have noticed that your solar panels appear to be producing less and less energy coverage, then the first thing to do is have them cleaned. There could be a tech issue if they are still not performing at that point. There could also be less sun coverage than previously, but clean solar panels can make the most of even overcast and dull days. So, yes, cleaning your solar panels will result in better performance.
Leaving your solar panels to become dirty will ensure they produce less output. You should make cleaning those solar panels a priority!
How Often Should I Clean My Solar Panels, Then?
You should consider an annual cleaning time and stick to it. Spring is the best time of year to focus on cleaning solar panels. Why?
- The winter is often the time of year that pollution is at its most prolific in general
- If you live in an area with high pollution, i.e. near factories, cleaning is a priority
- It might also be worthwhile to do a pre-winter clean-up in autumn, removing leaf debris
- If you have flat solar panels, you might need to clean them more regularly
- By contrast, angled solar panels usually receive greater cleaning quality from rainwater
- By cleaning in the spring, you prepare your solar panels for maximum solar intake
Keep this in mind, and it should be easier for you to devise a plan of action to ensure that your solar panels are cleaned accordingly.
Tips For Cleaning Solar Panels Properly
Now that you understand why and when to go about cleaning your solar panels let us look at how you get the most thorough finish and cleaning:
- Make sure that you adhere to any specifications given by your solar panel installer
- If you installed the solar panels on your own, check with your manufacturer beforehand
- To properly clean a solar panel, start by giving it a rinse with your garden hose
- This should remove most of the dirt, dust, droppings, and debris – but not all
- For any stubborn stains that will not move, you will need to clean them manually
- Use warm water and soap to help make sure that the cleaning job is as thorough as possible
- Avoid washing your solar panel at the peak of the daytime during spring or summer
- Instead, aim for an early morning clean before the solar panels have properly heated up
- Once you have finished cleaning, you should wipe down the surface with a soft cloth
Remember that this solar panel cleaning will require you to go atop your roof. This requires equipment to get up and down the roof, such as ladders, and should not be done alone. Have someone hold the ladder for extra steadiness. Be careful and take your time: there is no need to rush.
If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, which is completely understandable, it’s worth hiring a service to do this for you. Do not ignore the issue because you can’t manually clean your solar panels: a solar panel cleaning service can ensure that your panels are kept in working order.
Improve Efficiency By Cleaning Solar Panels Annually
As you can see, there are many benefits to having your solar panels cleaned. We recommend that you look to clean solar panels during the beginning of spring and then also give them a quick once-over at the end of autumn and the start of winter. This ensures peak efficiency during the year and should help avoid any needless drop-off in efficiency due to debris.
Take the time to care for your solar panels with some minor clean-up and maintenance. This helps to keep them as efficient as possible, meaning your solar panels deliver the expected return on investment as time progresses.
The cleaner solar panels are, the more effective the results!