A complete guide to clean and improve the efficiency of solar panels
You may be new to the solar system or maybe already using the system. However, did you know, cleaning the solar panels is essential for its long-term benefits? If yes, then do you know the exact method of cleaning it? Well, it’s important to know the exact method of cleaning to ensure you do not cause any damage to the solar system.
Have a look at your solar system, is it covered with bird droppings, dirt and dust? Don’t you think your solar panels should be kept clean as your home? To ensure better efficiency of your solar panels you should know how to clean solar panels.
Moreover, if you don’t clean your solar panels regularly the dust-covered in the panels can block the sunlight. Thus, the efficiency of the solar system may reduce. To get all the benefits of solar panel installation it should be kept away from debris and other dirt.
While the rainwater is good enough to clean all the dirt of solar panels: However, even you need to put an effort to ensure your solar panels are clean. A proper cleaning technique can prove beneficial for your system output function. After all, you are putting in a huge investment. So, a little care can give you better returns.
To help you get a better return on investment and to maintain your solar panel, we have prepared a comprehensive list of how to clean your solar panels. These tips will ensure good efficiency, better return on investment and also long life of your solar panels. So, let’s start learning the tips and tricks to keep the solar panels clean:
Table of contents:
- How often is cleaning required for solar panels?
- Things to consider while cleaning solar panels in the rainy season
- Guide to clean solar panels
– Shut down the system
– Disconnect the rainwater tanks
– Morning-perfect time to clean your panels
– Start cleaning from the ground surface
– Use water just on the surface of the solar panels
– Clean scratches and marks with a soft cloth
– Take care of your safety
- Why is cleaning necessary for solar panels?
- Is cleaning solar panels worth the time?
- Is pressure cleaner required to clean solar panels?
- How to maintain solar panels?
– Keep your panels away from the shade
– Have a check on the green lights
– Monitor the performance
– Monitoring system- to check the environmental benefits
- Will ignoring the cleaning and maintenance of the solar system increase the payback time?
- Different ways to have a check at your solar system
– Physical inspection
– Monitoring system
- Factors that affect the efficiency of solar panels
- Bottom line
How often is cleaning required for solar panels?
Certain cleaning processes fall under the maintenance work and it is done by professionals. However, the frequency to get a professional cleaning depends on the company-company process and warranty guidelines. Most of the companies suggest professional cleaning once in six months or once a year.
The frequency of the cleaning process is based on:
- Proximity to dust, sand and if the area is nearby to marine land
- If there are trees in your area then there are chances of debris and resins affecting the panels. Moreover, the leaves of the tree can fall and cover your panels.
- If you are close to the industrial area then various residues and dirt may settle on the panel
- If the proximity is close to the fireplace or chimney then the soot and smoke may cover the panel
- If your location is windy the dust and debris may settle soon on panels
The solar panel company will suggest the cleaning process depending on the proximity of your area to various conditions. They may also suggest that you clean the system with a solar panel cleaning solution.
Things to consider while cleaning solar panels in the rainy season
No doubt, rainwater will clean the dirt and surface of solar panels. However, due to excess water, the panels may get affected due to water spots and foliage deposits.
However, with modern technologies such a problem is limited. You also get solar panel cleaning soap to clean any dirt and spot on the panel.
The surface of the panel must be taken utmost care of. With little personal care and professional help, you can keep your solar panels neat and safe in the rainy season.
Guide to clean solar panels
This step-by-step guide will help you understand how to clean solar panels. Follow this method religiously to avoid any harm to your panels:
- Shut down the system:
As per the instruction, you need to shut down the system completely before installing solar panels. If you have an AC system then you need to shut the main switch.
- Disconnect the rainwater tanks:
If you have installed a rainwater tank then turn it off. While you clean the panels the dirty water may enter the tank. Hence, temporarily disconnect the rainwater tanks.
- Morning-perfect time to clean your panels:
A perfect time to clean your panels with a solar panel cleaning solution or water is morning hours. If you choose an afternoon hour the sun is bristling hot and when you pour or sprinkle cold water it may cause cracks on the surface of the panels.
Moreover, if you clean the panels with water in the afternoon time the water would evaporate quickly. This, in turn, will leave stains on the panels which will spoil all the hard work you’ve put into the cleaning process.
So, the ideal time to clean your panel is morning hours. The morning dew settled on your panels will soften the dirt and dust on its surface. This will help you in the cleaning process and also consume less water and solution in the cleaning process.
If morning hours are not suitable for you then cool evening time is also perfect to clean your panels.
- Start cleaning from the ground surface:
To ensure the safety of your panels always start cleaning them from the ground surface. Make use of a hose to keep your panels clean and safe.
- Use water just on the surface of the solar panels:
To keep your panels out from getting damaged just use water on the surface. Make sure you do not use water on the back and in the gaps of the panels.
- Clean scratches and marks with a soft cloth:
You don’t have to invest much in the cleaning process. All you need is a solar panel cleaning soap, water and a clean soft cloth. Just make sure you clean the surface with utmost care. Rough and low-quality cloth can cause scratches and marks on your panels. Hence, choose a soft good quality cloth wisely.
- Take care of your safety:
When you make use of water, soap and other solutions to clean your panel: this can make your roof slippery. Then how to clean solar panels? You can clean solar panels by taking care of safety measures. If you feel, it’s risky to clean the panels on your own then you can hire a professional service to clean your panels.
Some of the expert’s tips include:
- Inspect your solar panels monthly, look for the dust and debris buildup
- People from western US cities should have a check of soot and ash buildup. As wildfires are common there.
- Check your monthly bills, to see if there is a drop rate in the efficiency of solar panels. If there is a drop in the electricity production then consider cleaning the panels.
- Hire a professional if you think cleaning solar panels involves risk.
Follow these tips in your solar panel cleaning process and ensure better efficiency and also increase the life of your panels.
Why is cleaning necessary for solar panels?
Every item requires cleaning. It is necessary for hygiene purposes and also to increase the life of items. The same goes for solar panels.
Dust particles, bird droppings and debris can affect the efficiency of your panels. Also, such dirt looks ugly, isn’t it? When you are investing in an item, you also need to ensure it gives a better return on your investment. Otherwise, your investment will be a waste.
Moreover, an experiment conducted in California, proved that cleaning the solar panels improves energy efficiency. The only way to keep your solar panels working for a long period is to keep them clean.
The experiment also proved that keeping your solar panels clean doubles up their capacity of producing energy. As the dust residues get cleaned the panel will receive good sunlight. Hence, the output of solar panels gets doubled up.
The research also stated that you should not just rely on rainwater to get your panel cleaned. You should also put an effort to clean your panels at regular intervals.
If you feel you are not getting the required time to clean the panels then you can clean them on weekends when you are free. Busy even on weekends? We still have a solution for this. You just need to hire a professional solar panel company and your problem is solved. A professional solar panel company cleans your panel completely and ensures to offer better efficiency.
Is cleaning solar panels worth the time?
Solar panels do not require much time to get cleaned. Moreover, it requires less time than cleaning the walls and windows of your house. If you compare the timings, solar panels are easy to clean and require less time.
With an easy cleaning process, you can also get the benefits of better efficiency and also you can save on electricity bills. Just a little bit of work and too many advantages, isn’t it amazing?
So, don’t neglect the cleaning process. Also, cleaning can be fun when you have free time. As already discussed, the advantages related to cleaning solar panels is amazing. So, the cleaning process requires less time and the benefits are innumerable.
Is pressure cleaner required to clean solar panels?
No, pressure cleaner is not recommended to clean solar panels. They may accidentally spoil your solar panels. As we have already studied how to clean solar panels so it’s better to adopt those techniques than a pressure cleaning.
A gentle wash with a clean water is enough to clean all the dirt on your solar panels. Moreover, if you do not know the techniques to clean with pressure cleaner the efficiency of your panel may also get affected. So, it’s better to adopt an easy technique that does have any risk involved and also increases the panel’s efficiency.
How to maintain solar panels?
Along with cleaning it is also important to maintain your solar panels. As proper maintenance will help the solar panels to work efficiently and will also increase the life of the panels. Let’s have a look at how to maintain solar panels:
- Keep your panels away from the shade:
Your solar panels must be kept away from the shade as this can affect the working of solar panels. Your solar panels may become inefficient due to the shade. They do not receive adequate sunlight in the shade and thus the efficiency is affected.
The best way to maintain solar panels is by keeping them clean with a solar panel cleaning solution and taking proper care by maintaining them.
- Have a check on the green lights:
Keep a check at the green light flashing on the inverters. If the green light isn’t flashing then probably there is a problem in the working of the inverter or solar panels. You can call your solar panel company to examine the problem.
If you ignore such problems it can result in the wastage of electricity. So, it’s necessary to investigate the problem earlier and find a solution to it.
- Monitor the performance:
You should monitor the performance of your solar panels daily. Make a point to note down the energy consumption especially keep a check on cloudy days. The results may not be stable. Your solar panel contractor can suggest to you on how to monitor the solar panels and improve their efficiency.
They will also teach you the techniques on how to clean the solar panels with a solution and solar panel cleaning soap to generate better efficiency.
- Monitoring system- to check the environmental benefits:
With a monitoring system, you can keep a check of the environmental benefits. You can see your contribution to the environment with solar panels and also the carbon footprint emission rate. Moreover, you can also check the benefits you are receiving from the tariff scheme.
So, a monitoring system is essential to keep a check on the environmental benefits.
You can read the maintenance of solar panels in the instruction book given to you while you book for solar panels installation. You can get an idea and also tips to maintain your panels.
People who do not have time to maintain and clean solar panels can install modern automated cleaners. This will make your job easier. This is a type of sprinkler to clean the solar system. As discussed earlier, you can also book an appointment to get your panels cleaned by the solar panel companies.
Will ignoring the cleaning and maintenance of the solar system increase the payback time?
Yes, ignoring the cleaning and maintenance process can put your investment at loss. So, you should learn and know how to clean solar panels to value your investment.
The efficiency of solar panels is reduced by 15 to 25 percent if you do not maintain or clean the system properly.
This directly indicates that they will generate less electricity. This in turn will make you wait for more years to get a return on your investment. We are sure, you would not like to wait for extra years to enjoy the money that you invested.
So, why wait for more? Start paying attention to the cleaning of your solar panels today. Grab the solar panel cleaning solution and give your panel the new look and efficiency they deserve.
Different ways to have a check at your solar system
There are various ways to keep a check on solar panels. When you keep a check you can understand the requirements of cleaning and the maintenance process. It helps you to understand which solution and solar panel cleaning soap to use in the cleaning process. Let’s have a look at the different ways to check your solar system:
- Physical inspection:
A regular inspection of your solar panels is necessary if you reside in an unfavorable weather condition zone. There are chances that your panels get exposed to dust and other particles.
So a proper inspection is necessary to keep a check on the working of your panels. You also need to check the connection of the panels during unfavorable weather conditions. All such practices will help you keep updated about the working of solar panels.
- Monitoring system:
With a good monitoring system, you can inspect the working of your solar panels. They monitor the condition and working of your solar panels and also help you take the necessary measures at the right time.
You can pay for the monitoring system monthly or pay an advance for the system. It’s better to invest in a monitoring system as this will keep your solar panels safe. They will prevent any damage to your system and keep your system up to date.
These are some of the ways to have a check at your solar system. A regular physical inspection and monitoring system will ensure the long life of your solar panels.
Factors that affect the efficiency of solar panels
There are several factors that affect the efficiency of solar panels. One such factor is the angle at which you place your solar panel. Certain angles attract dust to the sides and surface of the panels.
Another important factor is the location. It is an important factor to determine the working of the solar panels. As discussed earlier if your location is prone to dust then it may affect the efficiency of the solar panels.
All you need to take care of is to keep your panels away from dust. Thus, regular cleaning is necessary. Also, debris, bird droppings and tree leaves can altogether affect the efficiency of the solar panels.
Why do such factors affect the efficiency of solar panels? Do you have the same question in your mind? Well, the efficiency of the panel is affected when dirt and other particles cover the surface of the panel. When the surface is covered with dirt the sunlight is not able to hit the panels thus the efficiency is affected.
Solar panels get dirty soon due to the surrounding area. Thus with regular cleaning, you can keep the dust and dirt at bay from reaching your panels.
Bottom line
As you read cleaning solar panels is easy, you just need to understand how to clean solar panels in the right way. A little bit of dust can get away with the rainwater. However, other than the rainy season, you need to give personal attention to your panels.
When you clean your panels take care of the solution and soap you use. Take suggestions from the solar panel company. Do not make use of normal solution and soap. There are special cleaning solutions to clean your panels.
Use a soft cloth to clean your panels. There is also a solar panel cleaning kit available in the market, you can use them to clean panels. Hiring a professional solar panel company is a good idea to get your panels cleaned.
These small tips can improve the efficiency of solar panels and also make sure to get a better return on your investment. Follow these simple tips and improve the efficiency of your panels.