Solar Panel Maintenance

“Is solar panel maintenance a hassle?”

SunPro Solar gets this question from homeowners regularly, and it’s understandable given that no one wants to worry about climbing up on a roof to care for their solar panels.

Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity, so the cleaner your panels are, the more efficiently they’ll be able to generate clean energy for your home or business.

Since SunPower’s panels are the most efficient on the market, they’ll make more energy than competing panels in a variety of low-light situations, but any panels covered with too much dirt or debris will produce less power.

In most cases, the loss of power isn’t significant — maybe 1 to 4.7 percent. But one study found that long-term dirt buildup can reduce a solar panel’s electricity production by as much as 20 percent.

How to Clean Your Solar Panels

Typically, we say to stay off your panels – they clean themselves: The good news is that seasonal rain usually washes off any dirt or animal droppings that may have accumulated. But if your area receives very little precipitation and has dusty, windy weather, you may need to occasionally clean your panels. Some homeowners are able to do this themselves or they may choose to have them professionally cleaned.

For example, in the Riverside area, where we install Sunpower solar systems, it doesn’t rain much between spring and the wintertime, making regular monthly or bi-monthly cleanings a good idea. Because the desert is dry, a lot of dust or ash (from California wildfires) can rest on the panels.

Fortunately, cleaning solar panels is easy for ground-mounted systems, or for rooftop solar systems. We recommend homeowners use a soft-bristle brush with an extended handle, like the type used to clean off an RV. And don’t forget to choose an environmentally friendly soap.

If the solar panels are hard to access, such those on a two-story home, buying a high-pressure hose nozzle with an attachment that holds soap typically does the trick. These can be found at any home maintenance store. Find a safe place to stand, spray soapy water on the panels and then quickly rinse them off.

Yes. It’s really that simple.

But for solar panel maintenance do-it-yourselfers should keep some other things in mind:

• As a rule, stay on the ground. Never get up on your roof without a secure ladder and proper fall-protection equipment.
• Turn off your system before starting your cleaning. Consult your SunPower® solar manual to see how you turn off your system to protect it. If you’re unsure, ask your SunPower dealer for help.
• As a rule, avoid using hard, or mineral-rich, water. It can damage panels over time. If your area only has hard tap water, you can buy an inexpensive water-softening hose attachment to filter out minerals. Otherwise, you can use distilled or de-ionized water.
• Use soft brushes and squeegees. Don’t use abrasive brushes, pads or powders.
• Clean your solar panels early in the morning or in the evening when the solar panels are cool. During the heat of the day, water and soap can evaporate quickly, which risks smearing the soap and dirt.
• When using a high-pressure water nozzle, don’t get close to the panels. While they’re extremely durable, you don’t want to damage them.

Still nervous to do it yourself? In many cities, there are businesses that specialize in solar panel cleaning, but it’s also a service that many window washing companies now offer. They typically only charge about $2-4 per panel, depending on how accessible and dirty they are. Better yet, the process is quick: 15 to 30 minutes.

Still, here are some solar panel maintenance tips:

• Do a monthly visual inspection to look for any dust buildup. Also, you can watch your bill for any noticeable drop inefficiency. Only then should you worry about cleaning. Even then, in most cases, nature is going to clean them for you.
• Don’t expose yourself to any risk. If you have any doubts about your ability to safely clean your panels, hire a professional.

As you can see, having solar panels is not a high-maintenance commitment at all. So give us a call at SunPro Solar today at 951-678-7733 to see just how much you could be saving by going solar.