What equipment do you need to clean solar panels?
In order to clean your solar panel, the only solar panel cleaning equipment you need is hot water, soap, and a brush.
Solar Panel Cleaning Brush
The Solar Panel Cleaning Brush is essential when cleaning the solar panel. The most important thing to know about the brush is that it should be stiff and have few holes.
The brush should be separate from any handle because you will use your hands to hold it. If you try to use a brush with a handle, then the brush’s bristles will be exposed and can’t do their job properly.
Solar Panel Cleaning Solution
You will need to use the solar Panel Cleaning Solution. The most important thing to know about the solution is that it should have no strong odor.
There are no rules on what kind of cleaner you should use, but you must use it constantly to keep your panel clean.
If you do not clean your panel every day, then your panels will be filled with dirt and grime and nothing will be able to kill all of the bacteria in them. How To Tell If Your Solar Panel Is Clean
If you do not feel safe in your solar panel, you should probably clean it. There are no rules on when to clean your solar panels, but if you see something or smell something, get out! If you do not feel safe in your solar panel, you can:
How to clean solar panels step by step
Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to clean solar panels that you can follow if you notice a build-up of dirt, grime, and other debris.
Step 1: Mix Water With the solar panel cleaning solution
The first thing that you need to do is to mix warm water with a few drops of solar panel cleaning solution in a five-gallon bucket.
Step 2: Wet Solar Panels
With the help of your ladder and using a hose, gently spray water on your solar panels. Starting with wet panels will help avoid soap from adhering to your panels and leaving streaky build-up.
Step 3: Scrub Panels
After wetting your solar panels, you need to scrub them using a Solar Panel Cleaning Brush.
Step 4: Spray Again
After scrubbing your solar panels, you might leave some residue, all you need to do is to spray water on the panels again until all soap residue is gone.
FAQ about cleaning solar panels
Do I need to turn off solar panels to clean?
What is the best time to clean solar panels?
The best time to clean solar panels is early in the morning or late in the evening. This is the time when the production is low and the solar panels are not too hot.
During the peak hours, not only are the panels too hot, but also you may also lose a significant power generation.
What is the proper way to clean solar panels?
The proper way to clean solar panels is to use soap and a solar panel cleaning brush, avoid using chemicals that may harm your panels.
How often should solar panels be cleaned?
Can you use a pressure washer to clean solar panels?
Is cleaning solar panels worth it?
Yes, cleaning solar panels is worth it, in the solar industry, it is estimated that you can lose up to 5% of the solar power if your panels are dirty.
If you have 100 watts solar panels you will just lose 5 watts or less this seems a very small amount and the cost of cleaning them might not compensate for the power loss.
But if you have a 100 KW of solar panels system, 5% is 5000 Watts, that is a lot of energy waste, so cleaning your solar panels becomes the only solution.