It is essential to clean your solar panels to improve efficiency. But how often should you clean solar panels?
Why Should You Clean Solar Panels?
Although numerous people are still not aware, solar panels can get dirty. Several external influences can make panels dirty, including grease, dust, salt grime, bat or bird droppings.
The photovoltaic system operates at maximum efficiency when it has direct access to sunlight. A layer of dirt or dust obstructs sunlight from reaching cells, thus reducing the rate of energy generation. However inconsequential residue layer may seem, it is detrimental to performance of your solar panel.
How Often Should You Clean Your Solar Panels?
There are mixed opinions regarding this topic. Unfortunately, after installation, a considerable number of investors do not bother about solar pannel care. They only inspect them when something goes wrong.
According to experts, solar panels should be inspected and cleaned after every six months. Frequent solar pannel cleaning prevents the buildup of dust and dirt and keeps your solar panels operating at maximum efficiency.
Having your panels inspected by a reputable professional can help identify problems before they worsen.
How to Clean Solar Panels?
There are two options when cleaning solar panels: you can decide to do it yourself or hire a professional. Luckily, some solar installation companies will clean your panels free of charge. They offer this service as a part of solar pannel maintenance.
However, even if your installer doesn’t offer this service as part of maintenance package, there is still need to hire a professional to clean your panels. The results of cleaning solar panels speak for themselves. Your panels will run at optimal levels at all times.
On the other hand, you can still clean the panels yourself. People with limited mobility are encouraged not to clean panels to avoid falls. If you are trained on basic safety measures, you can clean the panels by yourself to save some pennies.
All you need is a hose pipe and soap to clean panels. Before diving into the cleaning job, you need to check whether the panels need cleaning. The first option is to inspect panels for dirt, debris and bird droppings physically. The second option is to utilize a monitoring system that informs you of the panels’ performance and functionality.
Why Hire A Professional to Clean Solar Panels Rather Than Do It Yourself?
There are numerous benefits of professional solar pannel cleaning. Tap water has some particles that can remain on your cells, hence encouraging the accumulation of dirt. On the flip side, professionals use deionized water system to clean panels which makes them resistant to dust.
It is not cost-effective for an individual homeowner to buy a deionized water system. Professionals have one, and therefore it is relatively cheap to hire their services.
Another benefit is that professionals can check for other issues that might be affecting the performance and health of solar panels. Such problems include hotspots, cracks, fire safety issues, and infestation by possums, birds, and rats.
Peak Services
6425 W Richmar Ave Las Vegas, NV 89139
702-291-8833
