Because solar panels have no moving parts, they are low-maintenance. On the other hand, cleaning is an essential component of solar panel upkeep that should not be disregarded. In this post, we’ll look at the tactics that are required for effectively cleaning solar panels.
Solar panels may appear delicate and vulnerable, yet they are robust to all weather conditions and require little care, contrary to common opinion. Manufacturers often recommend keeping the panels clean, dust-free, and free of leaves and contaminants; however, rain may solve all of these problems.
To ensure that the solar panels perform to their full potential, a simple recommendation would be to include manual cleaning and maintenance of the panels in addition to the rain.
When do you know it’s time to clean your solar panels?
When the cleaning should begin is entirely up to you. Dirt, bird droppings, rubbish, and other items must be physically inspected on the solar panels. If you have a monitoring system in place, though, you can do so if your panels aren’t operating or aren’t functioning properly. However, you should be aware that the alert could signify a range of technical or electrical issues, not only the need for cleaning.
Allowing the rain to clean your solar panels is a common piece of advice.
Keep track of your device’s performance by keeping track of your energy bills and usage every month. It may be time to consider cleaning or other sorts of maintenance if your energy cost begins to fluctuate.
What safety precautions should you take before you begin cleaning?
Solar panels can become extremely hot in the sun due to their heat absorption properties. Clean your solar panels early in the morning or late in the afternoon, or on a chilly day. Also, see if there’s a method to do this without requiring the panels to be scaled.
If you need to climb to the top of the roof, have your ladders ready and be prepared with all the necessary equipment and training to avoid a catastrophic accident. You can always employ a professional cleaner to clean the solar panels to be safe.
What kind of cleaning supplies do you have?
The first thing you should do is contact the manufacturer of your solar panels. They might have specific cleaning advice.
All you need is water, soap, and a hose; it makes things so much easier. Keep in mind that you should not clean your solar panels with a high-pressure water sprayer. The water’s quality should also be evaluated. To avoid deposits generated by hard water, utilize rainwater as a final rinse if the water supply is hard (mineral-rich).
The solar panels themselves may be damaged by a high-pressure connection. Sponges are great for cleaning solar panels because they don’t scratch them. Use anything you’d use to clean your dishes if you’re going to use a little soap on your sponge.
You may need to clean them more thoroughly if there is a lot of dust and debris on them. Start by turning on the water and using a garden hose to clean the panels. And you’ll check to see whether there’s any dirt left. It is not necessary to sanitize the underlying wiring. They’re severely prohibited because they can only harm. There should be no chemicals or abrasive things used.
Bird droppings pose a greater threat to your solar panels than a dust layer. A string or microinverter is one thing to search for in your system. This is significant because microinverter systems (which have an inverter connected to each panel) will reveal where a component has been coated in droppings. The inverter will not indicate current flow at certain times.
If the panels are located near airports, flight paths, or well-traveled roads, they may develop oily stains on their surfaces. In this case, isopropyl alcohol, which is also found in ordinary household goods like toothpaste, might be used as a spot remover.
What do the professionals have to say about solar panel cleaning?
On this one, experts don’t seem to be able to agree. They say that filthy solar panels use only 5% less energy than clean solar panels, which is negligible. The fact that these minuscule particles continue to impede solar panels and are not discovered to work at a decreased capacity supports this notion. The soil tends to concentrate near the bottom of the structure because the solar panels are tilted at an angle to maximize solar heat absorption.
According to some experts, if solar panels are not properly cleaned, they would lose 15 to 20% of their strength, resulting in lesser electricity generation.
At their 1.6 MW solar farm in Mountain View, California, Google executed a ground-breaking experiment. They found that cleaning the solar panels was the most efficient way to increase the quantity of energy they produced. Solar panels that had been in use for 15 months were cleaned, resulting in a twofold increase in electricity generation.
Despite extensive research, experts advise against cleaning solar panels, and the return on investment is significantly lower if you hire a professional instead of cleaning them yourself.
The greatest advice on this topic is to keep an eye on your solar energy system to see if and when the power output changes. Examine if the quality of your solar panel returns to normal after a good rain if you fear your energy bill is changing because you need to clean it. That might be the end of it if that’s the case. If the problem persists after you’ve washed it, it’s possible that something electrical needs to be repaired.
It also depends on where you are located. If you live in a snowy area, you’ll have to manually shake off all the snow from the panels.
Those who believe that cleaning solar panels makes a difference should make an effort once or twice a year to do so. As a result, solar panels should always be working at maximum capacity.
You can do this more frequently if you live near a highway, airport, power plant, or another source of pollution. More garbage would be thrown at your solar energy system.
You should at least rinse your solar panels frequently, depending on the weather, dust, and other pollutants that may accumulate on them. Clean safely and, if required, get professional assistance.
The solar panel supplier might also evaluate whether cleaning is necessary and when it should be done, as well as give advice on how to execute the work. Conduct a thorough visual check and assessment before starting the cleanup. This would help with maintenance and upkeep while also saving you money on energy.