Do My Solar Panels Need Cleaning

For the most part solar panels are self cleaning.

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. Check with your solar panel manufacturer to find their recommendations for cleaning and what cleaning solution they recommend. Generally in the uk unless your solar panels have bird droppings on them you shouldn t need to clean your solar panels. 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.

Generally cleaning your solar panels isn t something you need to bother with. You do not have to clean the wiring underneath. Some manufacturers and solar panel users report a jump in efficiency of 30 percent or more after a cleaning. 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. 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. There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though. 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. 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. So the dirtier this coating becomes the less efficient the solar panel will be.

Follow those guidelines and you ll be ensuring that your can run as efficiently as possible. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. Finally cleaning your solar cells extends their life.

Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. Rain tends to flush out a lot of the unwanted residue sitting patiently and waiting to devour the sunlight headed towards your panels. Fill a bucket or spray bottle with warm water and soap no other special equipment is needed. After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains.

The best way to figure out if your panels need cleaning is to assess the above conditions. 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. Keeping solar panels clean can also improve their efficiency.