Solar panels are generally self cleaning but in particularly dry areas or where panel tilt is minimal dust and other substances such as bird droppings can build up over time and impact on the amount electricity generated by a module.
Cleaning solar pv panels.
It s a good idea to keep track of your energy output before and after a cleaning because that alone can be enough motivation to get your panels cleaned.
Keeping solar panels clean can also improve their efficiency.
All the electrical stuff is safely protected with aluminum frames hardened glass and insulation.
This is where cleaning solar panels may have to be done.
Simply put if you can clean a window you can clean a solar panel.
Some manufacturers and solar panel users report a jump in efficiency of 30 percent or more after a cleaning.
We know that dust dirt pollen bird droppings and other debris can negatively affect solar panel efficiency.
However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary 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.
According to the clean energy council 2018 also saw a 45 per cent growth in commercial solar power systems.
How to clean your solar panels.
The glass is strong but using abrasive materials can scratch the surface of the glass reducing its performance or even damaging.
We ll get to the best way to clean your solar panels in a minute.
The best way to clean solar panels is through professional help as of may 31 2020 australia now has more than 2 43 million solar power systems installed across rooftops.
But first let s look at when and why you might need to invest in solar panel cleaning equipment or hire a professional cleaning service.
Why should i clean my solar panels.
Google did a study on the need to clean solar panels.
Google conducted a groundbreaking experiment at their 1 6 mw solar farm in mountain view california.
Cleaning ones solar panels is not hard at all.
Despite that water and cloth may be simply used for pv system cleaning other solar panel cleaning products may offer a simpler faster and better approach for this maintenance.
Therefore keeping constant solar panel maintenance and cleaning is essential to guarantee optimum energy yields across the year.
The most effective way to clean your solar panels is with a hose and a bucket of soapy water.
Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power.
Use a soft brush or a sponge.
Check with your solar installers and providers to determine if there is any information about solar panel cleaning recommendations and dos or don ts when it comes to cleaning your system.
Always remember to push that red button in the rapid shutdown box before going to clean your solar panels.
They found that tilted panels don t require cleaning as much as flat panels.