According to Energypost.eu, accumulated dust or dirt on your solar panels can result in energy losses of up to 7%. Over a long period of time, the amount of power lost on this could cost you thousands. Which is why we are here today, to talk about how to clean solar panels.
Solar panels typically will last for decades and have very little maintenance for you. However, as you can see from the statistics above, cleaning them is something to take seriously to save you both money and energy.
So, how do you clean solar panels? Well, Let’s take a look!
Enemies of Your Solar Panels
If you want to properly clean your solar panels, you should understand all of the different things that can accumulate and make your panels dirty and lose efficiency. So, what does that look like? Here are some of the worst enemies of your solar panels:
Bird Droppings
One of the most common things that can happen to your solar panels is for them to attract birds. Birds make nests on house roofs all the time, but when those nests are created from twigs and straws, they might make their way past the edge of your roof and onto your solar panels.
On top of the nests being built, you also have to be aware of bird droppings. Depending on where you live, this can range from very little to your solar paneling being covered within a few weeks.
Leaves and Debris
Imagine a huge deciduous tree just growing right next to your house, or on top of it. All those leaves and branches will make their way onto your solar panels and block the sun from coming in.
On top of that, they also fall from a great height. This can create big marks and stains on your solar paneling without you even noticing.
Snow and Ice
This one can be a fairly common issue, especially if you’re in the northern half of the US. Those big patches of ice and snow that build up and melt on your roof might make their way to your solar paneling as well.
They might also melt down onto it and create small streaks if they don’t fully disappear by themselves. Either way, this is going to cause issues for your solar.
Sand and Dust
This one usually happens only during the early summer months when we have more wind than usual. But sometimes it can happen year-round depending on where you live.
Imagine all the sand being picked up from the air being blown through your town or city, landing on top of everything including your solar panels.
Now that you have a good idea about all of the different things that are going to have an effect on your solar panel efficiency. Let’s talk about the different ways to clean them.
How to Clean Solar Panels
There are several ways to clean your solar panels, and how you clean them will depend on the type of panels that you have, how dirty they are, and how much time and money you have.
#1 Manual Cleaning with Soap & Brushes
This is a very effective way, but also time-consuming and can be a bit tedious. However, if you are a homeowner and looking to save some money by not hiring someone to come out and do it for you, this is the way to do it.
Just spray them down with water first, then scrub them dry with the brush, this will allow the dirt particles to loosen without scratching or damaging your panels.
Make sure that you use a brush with soft bristles to not scratch your panels.
Here are a couple of solar panel DIY cleaning tips:
- Use soapy water along with your hose
- Avoid using any chemicals, even something diluted
- Use a non-abrasive sponge or a brush that isn’t too harsh
- Make sure to have a squeegee as well
- Avoid using a pressure washer as this can damage your panels
It’s as simple as that. You don’t need to get fancy at all with this method to work.
You do not need to use any type of cleaning agent either other than some simple soap. Just simply using a hose and brush will get your panels clean and working back to 100%.
#2 With Advanced Technology
For those that do not want to go through the manual process of cleaning their panels, there are now automatic and semi-automatic machines that will get your panels spotless.
The Ecoppia Solar Panel Cleaning Robots (Ecoppia E4) are designed specifically for this job. They provide both portable and fixed roof versions to suit all types of solar installations.
This method is typically used with larger businesses and enterprises that have hundreds to thousands of panels that need cleaning. If you are a homeowner with just a few panels, this is most likely not the method for you.
#3 Through Waterless Vibration
The next method that we will cover is the waterless vibration cleaning method.
This works by attaching a direct-current (DC) motor to the back of a panel, which is then used to induce vertical vibrations. This reduces the amount of time required for manual scrubbing, while also reducing costs and protecting solar cells against damage in the process.
So with this method, you are using technology to clean solar panels automatically without any human interaction needed. With this automated system, you can set it up once and let it do its thing till it’s done!
Using this option is typically more ideal if you have hundreds or thousands of panels that need cleaning at once instead of just 5 to 20 like most homeowners would have on their home.
With that being said, these are the three methods of cleaning solar panels. But don’t go away just yet, next we need to talk about the seasons and a cleaning schedule. Because that matters!
Solar Panel Cleaning Schedule & Seasons
There are four seasons in any region. Spring, summer, fall, and winter, and your panels are exposed all year long to each season. This means that each season will affect them differently and how often to clean solar panels.
This is why your solar panel maintenance will change and need to have a set schedule. Otherwise, you could be rotting time and money. The amount of cleaning is going to be different from summer to fall, and from fall to winter, and so on.
Cleaning Solar Panels in Fall
In the fall, leaves from trees will be falling more often. This means that you need to have a plan ahead of time on how you are going to clean your solar panels this season.
The worst thing that can happen is for leaves to start piling up and accumulate onto your panels, which will block sunlight from hitting them, therefore reducing how much power they generate.
This could potentially remove any energy coming through depending on how bad your leaves fall where you live. If just one of your cells is covered on your panel while wired in a series, then the entire panel will not generate power.
In addition to that, if you have a tree with large leaves, this can have a huge effect as well. One large leaf can stop an entire row of panels depending on how you have them wired. Whether in a series or parallel.
Cleaning Solar Panels in Winter
In the winter, snow and ice will be a big issue.
The worst thing that can happen is to have too much snow pile up on your panels. This can block sunlight from hitting your solar cells, which could lead to even less power generated than the fall season.
Another major factor in this situation is if you are using modules with low-temperature ratings. Most high-quality modules do not care about how cold it gets outside, but if you bought a cheap brand, they may not withstand the cold too long.
Because of this, modules exposed to colder weather will see their performance reduced down. So you want to make sure you have not only the proper residential solar panels but also that you don’t let snow accumulate on them.
Cleaning Solar Panels in Spring
Spring is when pollen starts to stick onto solar panels.
While not as big of an issue compared to the other seasons discussed here, it does happen and can lead to reduced energy production due to decreased sunlight exposure.
While this doesn’t seem like a big factor at first glance, pollen can accumulate on solar panels quickly. It only takes about 1 week for that light dusting you get in the spring to become noticeable. In some states, that can happen within a day or two.
Cleaning Solar Panels in the Summer
The best-case scenario in the summer is that you don’t even need to clean your solar panels except for one or twice.
This is because, in most cases, rain is plentiful and can actually help wipe off any small dust or particles stuck onto your modules. You also don’t have any snow, leaves, or pollen flying through the air.
However, if it doesn’t rain then it may be time to take the initiative and give them a good scrub down.
Also, keep in mind that if enough dirt gets accumulated on your panels throughout the year they may require more than just a simple rinse with water. This is why you should at the very least clean your panels several times a year.
Set up a Schedule
With the seasons changing, you need to have a set time for when you are going to clean your solar panels. You want to ensure that you don’t wait too long or else more dirt will accumulate on them and it will be even harder to clean off.
A repeated schedule is important because it ensures that your panels stay cleaned and at their maximum potential.
Location Matters
As with the seasons, your location is also going to play an effect on how often you clean your solar panels.
It’s a good idea to talk to a solar panel specialist in your area who can give you solid advice on how often they should be cleaned. The type of solar panels will also have a large part in determining how often it needs to be cleaned.
Cost of Cleaning Your Solar Panels
So now that you’ve got a little background about how to clean solar panels on your roof, let’s talk about the cost. Depending on where you live and what types of modules you have can change the price dramatically.
If you’re hiring someone else to do the job for you, it will usually be $5 to $10 per panel or $150 to $200 for an entire system.
To avoid paying too much for cleaning costs, try doing it yourself every month or so. Either way, you should contact your local solar experts to find out a good schedule and learn what they charge for cleaning solar panels. They might be willing to clean them for cheaper than normal.
If you haven’t set up your solar system yet or have questions about it, it’s best to contact a solar expert. They can answer all of your questions regarding the cost of solar systems. You can also contact concerning rebates and anything else related to solar!
Clean Your Solar Panels
Solar panel cleaning is important to the performance of your solar panels. You can either hire someone else or do it yourself since you know how to clean solar panels now! If you want to keep this process simple, set up a schedule for when you will clean them so that they stay in top condition throughout the year.
If you enjoyed this article, head over to our blog page to find more just like it. We have more articles on solar panels as well as other advanced technologies.
