Home solar panels can reduce your energy bill and your impact on the environment, but did you know the dirtier your solar panels are, the less power they can produce? Solar panels are designed to receive solar energy through either glass panels or glass rods and as soon as the glass is blocked by dirt, the panels receive less solar energy and can’t produce as much power.
As soon as your solar panels are installed, they begin to collect dust, dirt and debris. By cleaning your solar panels you can restore their efficiency and increase your power output. But when do you need to clean your solar panels and how do you clean solar panels on a roof?
To help you decide, we’ve put together this easy guide on solar panel cleaning.
Do I Need to Clean My Solar Panels?
There are several factors to determining if you need to clean your solar panels. By looking at each of the factors, you’ll be able to decide whether your solar panels need cleaning and how often you need to clean your solar panels.
Placement
Depending on where your solar panels have been installed, it may affect the amount of dirt they are collecting. If your solar panels are installed near trees or bushes, they may be collecting significant leaf debris during the cooler months. Leaves that are left on your solar panels can completely block sections of the glass and reduce your solar panel’s efficiency. If this is the case, you may need to clean your solar panels annually to remove the fallen leaves from Autumn and Winter.
Angle
The flatter the angle that your solar panels are installed, the less likely that dirt and debris will be cleared by rain and wind. Panels that are installed at less than 10 degrees will particularly struggle to naturally clear debris. The combination of dirt and rain can lead to a layer of grime forming on the solar panel that can significantly impact the power output of your solar panels. Regular solar panel cleaning will help restore your solar panels to their optimum efficiency.
Weather
There’s not much you can do about the weather but understandably the worse the weather is with rain and wind, the more dirt and debris your solar panels are collecting. Luckily in Perth, we have very few rainy or windy days and mostly sunshine, but be mindful to check your solar panels after storms and plan you solar panel cleaning.
How to Clean Solar Panels On a Roof?
If your solar panels are on your roof, it can be extremely dangerous for you to clean them yourself. This goes for solar hot water systems and solar power panels. Cleaning solar panels on a roof requires safety harnesses for all involved and may even need a cherry picker to reach the highest points. Not to mention the equipment needed to clean the full width of the solar panels without applying too much pressure to the glass panes.
If you need solar panel cleaning, we recommend contacting a professional solar panel or roof cleaning company. DJL Services provides high-pressure roof cleaning services with free solar panel cleaning.
High-Pressure Roof Cleaning Perth
If your roof’s solar panels need cleaning, odds are your roof does too. Due to the shape of roof tiles and colorbond, your roof is more likely to collect dirt and debris than your solar panels. Roof tiles, in particular, can collect moisture that allows mould to form.
We recommend having your roof and solar panels high-pressure cleaned to remove all dirt and mould before it can start to damage your roof. DJL Services provides professional high-pressure cleaning services for roofs and solar panels. We include free solar panel cleaning with every high-pressure roof cleaning. Get a free quote on for roof high-pressure cleaning.
Excellent article, clear and to the point. Well done.
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