Guide on Cleaning Solar Panels for New Owners

Installing a solar power system in your home means that you are most likely love the environment and are concerned about energy costs. Once you have your solar power equipment installed in your home, there are still things left for you to do. Maintenance of these devices is extremely important and not an issue you would want to take lightly. Insufficient care of your solar power system can lead to the reduction of energy that these panels generate. In turn, you can not take advantage of your solar power equipment. Do solar panels need cleaning periodically? A big, fat YES.

Cleaning solar panels on roof seems, for some, too tiring and challenging to do. There may be solar panel cleaning services out there. But did you know that cleaning solar panels yourself is as just the same as other chores. Consider it as an exercise. Follow the few simple cleaning steps that will be discussed in the following paragraphs and you will find that maintaining a well-­functioning solar power system is not hard at all and can benefit you and your home for years to come. You can also save money from cost of cleaning solar panels. The most important thing to remember about taking care of your home solar panels is the fact that they have to remain clean. This does not present a problem, as you can use the same cleaning devices as you use to clean other glass objects around your home like the windows. Keep always in mind that it is important to keep an eye on your solar panels and make sure that they are not left dirty for too long. Allowing layers of dirt or dust to accumulate on your solar power panels can affect the harvest of sunlight in a negative way.

Supplies You Will Need for Cleaning Solar Panels

One of the things that is, or at least should be, available in stores is a solar panel cleaning equipment or kit. This usually includes a wiper, a brush and liquid soap. As this is quite similar to what you would clean, say, your car windows with, keep in mind that is perfectly okay to buy a car cleaning kit should your store not sell solar panel cleaning kits. Instruction manual is included in the kit. However it is enough for you to simply decide on the right proportions of soap and water to mix together, again quite similar to what you would do when cleaning your automobile’s windows.

I Have My Tools.­ What’s Next?

Now comes the part of the actual cleaning process. You submerge the brush into the soapy water and then gently rub the panels of your solar power system. Depending on the size of your solar system, this process can take a bit of time. Keep in mind that cleaning solar panels is a necessity and you should not try and save time while doing so.

After you finish stroking the panels with the soapy brush, it is time to wipe them with the wiper. You should remember to do so while the panels are still wet. This will stop soap from drying on the panels. If you fail to do so, it is quite possible that the soap will end up drying on the panels causing stains and blotches. And this in turn will lead to the blockage of the amount of sunlight to be absorbed. And we can all guess what that would mean.

Of course there is the possibility that you are too busy for cleaning solar panels. This is where a professional solar panel cleaner steps in to get the job done. If you feel that you do not have the sufficient equipment, or maybe you are simply afraid of heights, it is also better to hire someone to do the job for you. Whatever you decide, remember, that you should not jeopardize your safety in the name of cleaning solar panels systems. If it is possible, you should try to tend to them from the ground. You can also use a hose to spray the water needed to rinse off the soapy panels.

Cleaning solar panels is not an option but it is a necessity and so it is important to treat the matter seriously. Never allow the panels to get filthy, as it will end up costing you more time, money and frustration than regular, standard maintenance. Fortunately, this job is an easy thing to do that needs to be done only once or twice a year.