Can You Power Wash Solar Panels

One company selling an automated washing system says panels should be washed every couple of weeks.

Can you power wash solar panels.

California based solar installer and maintenance provider bland company never uses a cleaning agent on solar panels instead relying on deionized water and a rotating brush system to wash solar panels. According to the clean energy council 2018 also saw a 45 per cent growth in commercial solarpower systems. Soaps can leave a film or residue that not only shades panels like the dirt that was just washed off but it can also encourage dirt to stick and build up faster said daniel green bland marketing director. A basic temperature gun is good for checking surface temperature before cleaning.

The most effective way to clean your solar panels is with a hose and a bucket of soapy water. Some say panels need an annual scrub others say quarterly. Yes you have to clean your rooftop solar panels and you have to clean them regularly. Read more about solar and snow here.

Because you don t want to scratch the panels in any way it s best to use just water and a non abrasive sponge to apply soapy water. Power washers are good for a lot of things but cleaning solar panels is not one of them. Companies specializing in cleaning solar panels generally say. Pressure washers are too powerful to safely clean polar panels and can end up causing scratches or other damage.

Solar panels become hot. Some of the sunniest places also don t get much rain which does a good job cleaning panels. The best way to clean solar panels is through professional help as of may 31 2020 australia now has more than 2 43 million solar power systems installed across rooftops. Performing solar panel cleaning is the best way to keep your solar power system performing it s best as well as receiving the maximum lifespan out of your solar panels.

Many homeowners opt to clean their own solar panels. Once the panels reach 140 150 f the risk of cracking is much greater. One has to be extremely careful not to crack solar panels by washing them when they are too hot. If your solar panels are dirty it s best to use a non abrasive sponge and soapy water.

And snow actually cleans your panels as it melts taking any dust and dirt with it as it slides off the slick module surface. Most snow will melt fairly quickly as the dark solar panels attract heat and sunlight.