Are you thinking about getting solar panels installed on your roof? Or do you already have solar installed? Have you wondered what you need to do to maintain your solar photovoltaic (PV) system and ensure you get the most out of it? If so, you’re in the right place. We’ll help you understand what is required and how it’s done when it comes to your solar panel maintenance.
Check out our YouTube series on the same topic!
What do I Need to Do for Solar PV Maintenance?
One of the many great qualities about solar power generation is there are no moving parts. With no moving parts there is no mechanical wear and tear. Most panels are built to last a minimum of 25 years. The glass will withstand most environmental assaults you throw at it. You generally don’t need to worry about your solar panels breaking down. This is especially true if you have a warranty, which is pretty common for solar panels.
You do, however, need to clean them from time to time. As we know, solar panels generate power by converting energy from the sun. So, any layer of dirt and debris can have an effect on your solar output.
Solar panels are sometimes referred to as “self-cleaning.” The combination of very low friction on the panel’s surface and the tilt of the panel allows rainwater to wash much of the dust and debris away. Not all of it though. The glass isn’t vertical like a window, it’s mostly horizontal. So, if you don’t clean them as the elements in your area demand, you’re going to lose out on some power generation.
How Do I Know When It’s time to Clean my Panels?
I recommend cleaning your panels twice a year, close to 6 months apart. Depending on where you live, though, you may get away with going longer. Or, you might need to clean them more often. The frequency is highly dependent on where you live and what conditions your panels are exposed to.
Dust, pollen, bird droppings, wildfire smoke residue, tree sap, leaves and other debris. There are any number of factors that can shade your solar cells.
One way to know if it’s time to clean your panels is by simple inspection. If you have easy enough access, just go out and look. Would you want to look through that glass?
Another way to tell if it’s time to wash your panels is by monitoring your system output over time. If you have an app that monitors output over time, see if you notice a trend. If you get a sense of what your system generates under certain conditions and it suddenly starts underperforming, a physical obstruction is a logical culprit. Time to investigate.
But as I said, I prefer to clean my panels on a schedule. Knowing they need to be cleaned every six months-ish works for me.
Do I Need to Get on my Roof?
If you have rooftop mounted solar panels, someone will unfortunately need to get on your roof to clean them. Hose water from below is better than nothing, but not much.
I already had a gutter cleaning service, so adding the solar panel cleaning was simple for me. If you don’t have a specialty solar panel cleaning business in your area, window or gutter cleaning companies are a natural fit. They’d be good places to ask if you need to find someone who can safely access your panels for cleaning.
I had the panel cleaning service for several years, but I got tired of shelling out a couple hundred dollars each trip for something I can do myself. So, I stopped being lazy and got a cleaning kit together. The YouTube video above documents that adventure.
What do I Need?
Safety First
If you’re getting on your roof, the most important thing you’ll need is a safety harness. I purchased the one linked below, and was pleased with my purchase. It was simple to figure out and aside from some minor tangling, it was basically out of sight with some added peace of mind.
Soft Bristle Broom
I expected the window washing 20 ft pole below was going to be my go-to for cleaning my panels but I was wrong. It would be great for windows that have less sticky residue, but the surface of this scrubber didn’t help much with cleaning my panels. Great for windows, not for solar panels.
What was helpful though, beyond my expectations, was this soft bristle broom by Eversprout. It was exactly what was needed to balance being tough enough to liberate the film on the panels, but soft enough to ensure the panels aren’t scratched. This is exactly what you need for cleaning your panels.
100 Foot Hose
This product is a must have. I’m was super glad that I didn’t need to climb off my roof to move the hose around as I was cleaning my panels. This 100 foot hose reached everywhere I needed with room to spare.
I recently purchased a cheaper 50 ft retractable hose of a different brand and its sitting by my garbage as I write this. It was destroyed by general use within a few months. This hose is a much higher quality with only a slightly higher cost. Strongly recommended.
Leaf Blower
This one depends on where you live. On my roof, it wasn’t necessary for cleaning my panels. But it was useful for cleaning my gutters. I don’t blow leaves often. Not as often as I should, probably… So for me it made sense to go cheap. The tradeoff for a less expensive leaf blower is obviously a less powerful output. But for me that wasn’t the problem. The real issue with the cheap leaf blower for me is the short battery life. I knew that was the case, so it wasn’t unexpected. But it is inconvenient.
I’m actually ok with that inconvenience. I’m happy to save a few bucks on this tool in exchange for cutting my leaf blowing into shorter chunks. An alternative solution could be to add an additional battery. That would allow you to keep going when one craps the bed. Or… just get a bigger, beefier, better leaf blower and call it a day.
Cleaning Agent
I’m not sure how I feel about the cleaner. It may be that the product I is layered on my panel right now, battling the elements for me and here I am unconvinced. That’s totally possible. I’m just not sure that a bucket of warm water and Dawn dish soap wouldn’t work just as well. To be honest, my panels were so shiny that I probably will buy this product again. But I’m not sure I can actually recommend it because I don’t know how much of that sparkle was due to cleaning agent, and how much was due to soft bristle broom and elbow grease.
Just Like Washing a Car
That’s it! That’s all you need to do to keep your panels operating at their maximum potential. If you can get on your roof, this maintenance is very inexpensive. If it’s not safe for you to climb onto your roof, call a professional. If there are no solar pros in your area try a gutter or window cleaning service.
Thank You
Thank you for checking out Evergreen Off-Grid! Please like, subscribe and comment below. Also, don’t forget to check out our Solar Panel Cleaning 101 episode on our YouTube channel embedded above!
Let me know what you think! Do you have any topics you’d like to read about in a future post? Contact us at info@evergreenoffgrid.com.
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