FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do I need to clean my solar panels?
YES, you should! Solar panels are designed to capture the suns energy with maximum efficiency. However, over time a panel’s efficiency is reduced as contaminants accumulate on the glass surface. Even minor accumulations of airborne particles can drastically reduce the efficiency of a panel from 10% - 30%. In extreme cases, reductions of up to 40 % have been encountered. This can seriously affect the energy you produce and subsequently the revenue you generate from your investment.
Isn't the rain enough to clean my solar panels?
Mother Nature's rain is just not enough to clean your dirty solar panels and dirty solar panels are not generating the energy output you come to expect from your solar panel system. Just like your car windshield needs wipers, your solar panels need help too, to clean off general pollution, traffic dust, dirt, salt residue, bird droppings, mold or the like which has been baked on by the sun. Contrary to what many people believe, rain water will not effectively clean your solar panels, just like they will not properly clean the windows of your car or home. A clean window looks great, but there is no financial return being generated by cleaning a window, unlike cleaning solar panels.
How often should I clean my solar panels?
Many factors play a role in the frequency of solar panel cleaning.
Some of the factors are:
- Location (does it rain regularly or only during certain months).
- The tilt angle of your panels (steeply tilted panels tend to stay much cleaner than panels that are close to horizontal).
- The amount of wind blown dust.
Can I do it myself?
Attempting to clean your panels with a hose and an ordinary brush is NOT a good idea. Besides the obvious risk of injury to yourself, you could damage the panels by not having the proper equipment. Brushes which are too hard, insufficient water flow, the wrong type of water or using washers all can cause permanent damage.