This Week's Question: A Clean Solar Panel Is A Happy Solar Panel

Question: How are solar voltaic panels cleaned?  Does that require a water source on the roof to wash them off?

This is a very good question. Photovoltaic panels do require some cleaning after installation. Water is the best option for cleaning solar panels, and also the easiest. Rain and sometimes morning dew will help to keep the panels clean, but build up of dust, debris and anything else can impair performance. We recommend that panels be cleaned at the very least once every six months. Remember, a happy solar panel is a clean solar panel. The easiest, safest and arguably the cheapest way that we can suggest this be done, is by purchasing a product called "Windex Outdoor Multi-Surface". This popular product can be purchased at neighborhood hardware stores or anywhere you can find outdoor windex products in your area. For this you need only a garden hose and this clever product and in less than fifteen minutes you are done and your panels should be clean and happy. Simply rinse the panels down with water, thoroughly spray the cleaning agent entirely over all the panels, wait fifteen seconds then rinse the soap off.

To know when your panels should be cleaned please consider the following:
1. If you ever notice debris collecting on your panels you should safely clear the debris off the panels as quickly as possible.
2. If you have to clean the outside windows of your house of dust, you should clean your panels as well.
3. If you have to rake your leaves in the fall, you should make sure your solar panels are clear of debris, especially with leaves as they can leave sticky residue that will cause the panels to accumulate more debris which is harder to clean using handsfree cleaning methods.
4. If you have to clean out the gutters on your roof, and indeed anytime you have any other maintainance on your roof, it is a good idea to make sure that the panels are cleaned.

Here's a helpful tip: before cleaning your solar panels, record the performance of the system during a cloud free, sunny day. After cleaning you may notice a dramatic increase in system performance immediately after spraying the panels down with water. This is because the light sensitive cells absorb more energy when they are cooler, a careful spray with the hose will show this to be an impressive performance enhancer. If you do not see noticable differences before and after you spray your panels down on a clear and sunny day, then you should contact your local installer as your system may be be experiencing a common problem that may be effecting the overall performance of the system.


By: Robb Childs