How Often Do You Clean Your Solar Panels

After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains.

How often do you clean your solar panels. At the very least you should do an annual cleaning of your panels. In dry regions however the wind can blow dust onto your panels and with a minimal panel tilt rain might not rinse it off sufficiently. Cleaning at regular intervals prevents buildup of residue and keeps your panels operating optimally at all times. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly.

If you ve got a lot of bird droppings on your panels rain might not wash these off very readily so it s a good idea to clean them off. H however some places do require extra attention. One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks. Solar panels that are cleaned once and twice a year produce 3 5 and 5 1 more electricity respectively than those that are left uncleaned.

For a homeowner that adds up to saving about 20 a year by cleaning their solar panels halfway through the summer. Early morning can be a particularly good time for cleaning as dew that has settled on the panels overnight will likely have softened grime. Less than 0 05 percent efficiency is lost on average. 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.

It may be a good idea to freshen up your panels occasionally if you live in an area with heavy particulates in the air. Depending on the size or your solar energy system the area in which you live and the different tiers of cleaning packages your company offers solar panel cleaning services can cost anywhere from 100 600 a visit. In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. In the southwest region of the u s where rainfall is limited for several months at a time the accumulation of dirt is far greater.

There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though. If you live in the southwestern united states you ll want to clean your panels more frequently. Most manufacturers recommend cleaning at least twice a year. This tends to result in a 3 to 5 increase in efficiency.

Essentially under normal circumstances you ll likely pay more to have your panels cleaned than you ll earn back in solar efficiency. You can include a solar panel cleaning as part of your spring cleaning routine. If they came out once or twice a year to clean your solar panels that would probably be enough. Clean your solar panelson an overcast day early in the morning or in the evening.

Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. We at lime solar cleaning recommend that panels be cleaned and inspected at a minimum once every six months.