Do My Solar Panels Need Cleaning

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.

Do my solar panels need cleaning. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains. Keeping solar panels clean can also improve their efficiency. The photovoltaic cells that make up your solar panels will most likely be covered by a glass coating to protect them.

The best way to figure out if your panels need cleaning is to assess the above conditions. For the most part solar panels are self cleaning. So the dirtier this coating becomes the less efficient the solar panel will be. Generally in the uk unless your solar panels have bird droppings on them you shouldn t need to clean your solar panels.

Some manufacturers and solar panel users report a jump in efficiency of 30 percent or more after a cleaning. You do not have to clean the wiring underneath. Check with your solar panel manufacturer to find their recommendations for cleaning and what cleaning solution they recommend. However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary.

There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though. 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. Follow those guidelines and you ll be ensuring that your can run as efficiently as possible. Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power.

Rain tends to flush out a lot of the unwanted residue sitting patiently and waiting to devour the sunlight headed towards your panels. Show extra caution if cleaning your solar panels requires you to climb up on the roof. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly. 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. Solar panel cleaning is a great chance to check your panels over and make sure they are in good condition. Clean the surface of the solar panel with a soft cloth or sponge. The national renewal energy laboratory indicated that cleaning solar panels are much more needed in areas with infrequent rainfall like southern california.

One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. 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.