Do You Have To Clean Solar Panels On Your Roof

Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly.

Do you have to clean solar panels on your roof.

If you live in the southwestern united states you ll want to clean your panels more frequently. Most manufacturers recommend cleaning at least twice a year. However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. Too much sun on wet panels can cause them to dry too quickly and smudge.

One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. Clean the surface of the solar panel with a soft cloth or sponge. The good news is that cleaning will not be needed very often and in fact most of the time not at all. As soon as your panels are out in the open in the clean air or not so clean air dust will start to settle on them blocking sunlight reducing their efficiency and costing you money.

Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. When and how often to clean your solar panels. Using anything with high pressure may cause damage. After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains.

The obvious solution is to pay someone to clean those panels or get out there and clean them yourself. You do not have to clean the wiring underneath. Get the most from your solar installation by choosing cec accredited products and installers. Use a mild detergent if you feel like you need some extra help.

Since solar panels often are placed on the roof of your home they will have the same slope. Early morning or in the evening ideally on an overcast day is best. This is because your roof has a natural slope to get rid of excess water and debris landing on it. Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power.

And if you re asking yourself if you can use a pressure washer to clean your solar panels we encourage you to only use a normal hose. Fill a bucket or spray bottle with warm water and soap no other special equipment is needed. Since most homes with solar panel roofs are not accessible from the ground attempting to clean your roof yourself can be very dangerous. This tends to result in a 3 to 5 increase in efficiency.

They have the appropriate safety equipment for navigating the roof. Show extra caution if cleaning your solar panels requires you to climb up on the roof. If you can t clean your panels from the ground hire a company. There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though.

You can include a solar panel cleaning as part of your spring cleaning routine. At the very least you should do an annual cleaning of your panels.