SunPower gets this question from homeowners regularly, and it’s understandable given that no one wants to worry about climbing up on a roof to care for their solar panels.
Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity, so the cleaner your panels are, the more efficiently they’ll be able to generate clean energy for your home or business.
Since SunPower’s panels are the most efficient on the marke, they’ll make more energy than competing panels in a variety of low-light situations, but any panels covered with too much dirt or debris will produce less power.
In most cases, the loss of power isn’t significant — maybe 1 to 4.7 percent. But one study found that long-term dirt buildup can reduce a solar panel’s electricity production by as much as 20 percent.
The good news is that seasonal rain and snowmelt usually washes off any dirt or animal droppings that may have accumulated. But if your area receives very little precipitation and has dusty, windy weather, you may need to occasionally clean your panels. Some homeowners are able to do this themselves or they may choose to have them professionally cleaned.
For example, in Bakersfield, Ca, where SunPower by Sun Solar installs solar systems, it doesn’t rain much between spring and the wintertime, making regular monthly or bimonthly cleanings a good idea, says Ryan Olson, manager of Sun Solar’s service department. Because the Central Valley is an agricultural region, a lot of dust gets stirred up around harvest time in August and September.
“They’re shaking a lot of the almond trees around here and that (debris) hurts (electricity) production,” Olson said.
Fortunately, cleaning solar panels is easy for ground-mounted systems, or for rooftop solar systems on a typical one-story house. Olson recommends homeowners use a soft-bristle brush with an extended handle, like the type used to clean off an RV. And don’t forget to choose an environmentally friendly soap.
If the panels are hard to access, such those on a two-story home, Olson suggests buying a high-pressure hose nozzle with an attachment that holds soap. These can be found at any home maintenance store. Find a safe place to stand, spray soapy water on the panels and then quickly rinse them off.
“It really is that simple,” Olson said.
Do-it-yourselfers should keep some other things in mind:
A larger multi-story home such as this one (above) would require a professional solar panel cleaning service.
In many cities there are businesses that specialize in solar panel cleaning, but it’s also a service that many window washing companies now offer.
In Phoenix, Ariz., Cactus Desert Window Cleaning Co-Owner Aymee Angeles Wilburn says many homeowners have their solar panels professionally cleaned quarterly or even just once or twice a year.
She said the cleaning fee that she charges is typically about $2 to $4 per panel, depending on how accessible the panels are and how dirty they are. A typical job takes 15 to 30 minutes.
“They’re easy,” she said. “There isn’t a lot of detail (to clean) like there are with windows.”
Some other tips:
Now that you can see that having solar panels is not a high-maintenance commitment, visit our solar calculator to see how much you might save going solar.
_____
Target Solar Power – Staten Island’s Solar Energy Company
TargetSolarPower.com
(646) 450-4977
1186 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305
