Solar panels are a great tool for renewable energy, but their energy efficiency goes down when they're not well maintained. To keep them working and to keep your energy bills down, here's how to clean solar panels.
Solar panels are made up of photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into energy. They do this by absorbing sunlight, but when the cells are blocked by dirt, debris, or layers of grime the solar panels are not able to absorb as much sunlight, and the energy efficiency of the solar panels is then reduced. In fact, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that dust, soot, and other debris can decrease a solar panel's efficiency by 7%.
If you have noticed that your solar panel monitoring system is reporting a decline in efficiency or that your bills are going up, it may well be time for solar panel cleaning or some solar panel maintenance.
Discover: How To Clean Roof Moss
Bird droppings and other acidic organic matter can corrode the solar panels over time, damaging the solar cells that do the work.
Heat can be unevenly distributed across the solar panel when dirt gets in the way. Over time, this can lead to issues with the performance and lifespan of the solar panel system.
Too much dirt build up can place weight stress on solar panels and the structures beneath that support them. This can, in extreme circumstances, lead to structural damage.
When debris is left to accumulate it creates a perfect breeding ground for rodents, birds and insects, all of whom like to nest under solar panels and can damage the wiring and casing of the solar panels themselves.
The thin layer of dirt that sits on top of the solar panels can have a shading effect. Even a tiny amount of loose dirt can reduce the electrical output by 25%.
Organic materials can trap and retain moisture on the surfaces and around the solar panels. This increases risk of water damage and corrosion, and can even lead to mould growth.
There isn't one answer when it comes to solar panel cleaning and how often you should be doing it. Your solar panels and everyone else's will be different and require different things. Generally speaking, it is worth cleaning solar panels once or twice a year. But these are the key things to consider when trying to figure out if that is too frequent or not frequent enough:
Rain naturally rinses your solar panels, so if you live somewhere with lots of rain, you may not need to clean solar panels as often as other people. Luckily for you, nature is doing the solar panel cleaning for you!
Generally speaking, solar panels aren't installed unless there is a direct line of sunlight to the solar panel system, however, if you have trees around your home or nearby, then there could be a lot of debris coming from the trees onto your solar panels, like pollen, leaves, branches and bird droppings.
Roofs with steep pitches generally don't need cleaning as often as roofs with low pitches. This is because the water run off from solar panels on steeper roofs is great at cleaning solar panels.
If there's been a drop in your solar panel efficiency lately, then you might be thinking you've got some dirty solar panels. In which case, it is time to clean your solar panels properly and do some general solar panel maintenance. By removing the dirt from the panel surface you should be able to increase that power output again.
It is worth remembering that while solar panel cleaning can be done as a DIY task, it is risky. You can always rely on professionals like the team at EMW Powerwash to clean your solar panels if you are concerned about damaging the solar panels or putting yourself at risk while cleaning your solar system.
Whenever you are cleaning at a height you should always make sure that you take into consideration your safety. When cleaning solar panels, unless you are familiar with rooftop work and working from heights, you may find it best to simply hire professionals.
Otherwise, make sure you have a safety harness and a sturdy ladder. Never go up alone, and avoid bad weather conditions. You should have a safety rope at the very least and make sure you were grippy trainers or shoes that allow you to have your feet firmly on the ladder.
It does help to use things like an extension pole so that you do not have to climb as high. In some situations this kind of equipment can even mean that you can clean your solar panels from the ground, safely.
Cleaning solar panels may seem like an easy job, but solar panels are expensive pieces of kit, and they're up quite high. It's always important to make sure you're being super careful when cleaning dirty panels. Here are some tips to help you with the process.
Before you start doing any cleaning or climbing up your ladder, make sure you have everything you need for solar panel cleaning. This will make the whole process easier, and will prevent you from having to go up and down the ladder too many times.
To prevent damage to your solar panels and to reduce risk to yourself, turn your solar panel system off completely when you clean your solar panels.
Under no circumstances should you use a pressure washer on your solar cells. This can do irreparable damage to your solar panels and the panel efficiency, and in drastic situations could lead to you installing solar panels all over again.
Check out: How To Clean Roof Tiles Without Pressure Washer
Your solar panels will warm up as they are used, simply because of the job that they are doing. It is vital that when you are doing solar panel cleaning, you do not spray cold water onto your hot solar cells as this could cause the glass in your solar panels to crack.
Harsh detergents like bleach can damage the solar panel rather than cleaning it, preventing you from getting any sustainable energy at all! These sorts of harsh chemicals are also very detrimental to wildlife.
You will be able to know whether it is time to clean solar panels in a few ways. First and foremost, you will likely see that you are receiving less renewable energy from them. This may result in higher bills.
Aside from that, though, when you don't have clean solar panels you can often see that they are dirty. Grime, debris, organic growth can all just sit on top of the solar panels, and it is very obvious when there's enough of it to need removing.
The third way to check whether your solar panels need cleaning is to see whether or not it is time to do some solar panel cleaning is to check on the monitoring system that comes with your solar panels. This should tell you if there are any issues with the panel efficiency or anything that needs to be addressed.
When it comes to cleaning solar panels, it is always worth hiring a team of experts like the professionals at EMW Powerwash. Solar panels are not a small investment, and to get them properly clean can be a long and tiresome process. Why not save yourself the time and the stress and concern about breaking them and simply hire the experts?
When a team come in to clean solar panels you can rest assured that there will be no residue left behind after the cleaning process, and that your solar panel's efficiency will go straight back up to what it was. We can remove bird droppings, dirt from air pollution, twigs, branches, leaves - all without leaving streaks or marks on your solar panels.
Worried about safety? Don't want to break your solar panels, but unsure how much you might have to pay a cleaning company?
Call EMW Powerwash today to discuss how we can get your solar panels clean and back to their optimal performance without you having to break the bank.
