Does Solar Panels Need Cleaning

Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power.

Does solar panels need cleaning.

In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. Do i need to clean my solar panels. There are some instances where solar panels might need cleaning but most of the evidence says solar panels are self sufficient and low maintenance.

Unfortunately it is often the case that the installation date the last time a solar system owner ever looks at their panels until something goes wrong. Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. And while the cost of solar panels has fallen by 70 since 2010 a solar panel system is still a significant investment costing 4 000 6 000 for a family of three. The facts are solar panels do need to be clean to work at thier best performance.

That s kind of the same logic for solar panels too. We at lime solar cleaning recommend that panels be cleaned and inspected at a minimum once every six months. There are some solar power manufacturers that require ongoing cleaning in order to honor the warranty. Wait do solar panels need cleaning yes yes they do.

For starters cleaning your panels and ensuring they are kept in good working condition protects your warranty. In the uk the vast majority of domestic solar panel arrays don t need regular heavy duty cleaning thanks to the high levels of rainfall. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. Dust and particulate matter can reduce a solar array s production by as much as 25 according to a 2017 study by researchers in the us and india.

In other parts of the world where rainfall levels are lower build up of dust and dirt can present more of an issue and panels may need to be cleaned more often to prevent a significant drop in output. After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains. Other special cases to consider include autumn and winter where the removal of leaves and snow is important for optimal performance. In most cases occasional rain will be enough to naturally and safely keep your solar panels clean and free of debris that could lower production.

We ll get to the best way to clean your solar panels in a minute. Utility companies even pay universities to do research and when it shows anything the utility companies don t like they squash the reports. Solar panels that are installed near sources of pollution such as freeways factories and airports need to be cleaned more often. One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks.

You re here because in a moment of sudden panic you asked out loud to an empty room. There are several reasons you ll want clean solar panels. Unless a homeowner can show proof of regular cleaning their warranty might be voided.