Do My Solar Panels Need Cleaning

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.

Do my solar panels need cleaning.

There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though. For the most part solar panels are self cleaning. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly. Keeping solar panels clean can also improve their efficiency.

After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains. Finally cleaning your solar cells extends their life. One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. 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.

In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. Solar panel cleaning is a great chance to check your panels over and make sure they are in good condition. Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power.

Fill a bucket or spray bottle with warm water and soap no other special equipment is needed. The national renewal energy laboratory indicated that cleaning solar panels are much more needed in areas with infrequent rainfall like southern california. 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. Clean the surface of the solar panel with a soft cloth or sponge.

Some manufacturers and solar panel users report a jump in efficiency of 30 percent or more after a cleaning. Show extra caution if cleaning your solar panels requires you to climb up on the roof. You do not have to clean the wiring underneath. 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.

However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. The photovoltaic cells that make up your solar panels will most likely be covered by a glass coating to protect them. Rain tends to flush out a lot of the unwanted residue sitting patiently and waiting to devour the sunlight headed towards your panels. Follow those guidelines and you ll be ensuring that your can run as efficiently as possible.

Generally in the uk unless your solar panels have bird droppings on them you shouldn t need to clean your solar panels. The best way to figure out if your panels need cleaning is to assess the above conditions. Check with your solar panel manufacturer to find their recommendations for cleaning and what cleaning solution they recommend.