In most cases, you only need to clean your solar panels once or twice a year. We recommend scheduling your annual cleaning routine during the spring. A simple answer is yes, but not necessarily often. However, to maintain optimal operation and efficiency, it is recommended to clean solar panels regularly.
It should be noted that how often you clean your solar panels depends entirely on your environment or time of year. Living in an area with less rainfall could mean that you should clean your solar panels more often than someone who lives in an area with a lot of rain. To monitor the condition of the panels, check them periodically for accumulated dirt and debris, which could hinder the performance of the solar panels. Over time, it's natural for your home's solar panels to decrease in performance, but if they underperform, it might be a good idea to check if they need a good cleaning.
Many solar panel owners ignore the importance of cleaning them regularly. If you don't do this often enough, your system's performance will decrease due to the repellent layer of dirt that covers them. For this reason, regular cleaning is extremely important if you want to get the best results. Most solar panel owners don't clean their panels after it rains because they think they don't need to because rainwater will do it for them.
It's important to remember that solar panels heat up in the middle of the day, so it's best to schedule the cleaning schedule at dawn, at dusk, or on a cloudy day when the surface is relatively cold. Some solar energy companies have mobile apps that show the energy production of each panel in their system in real time, Jan. said. Pressure washers are too powerful to safely clean solar panels and can end up causing scratches or other damage.
If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to do your research before tackling the build-up on your solar panels. Many solar systems are not independently connected to a microinverter and rely on surrounding cells to maintain solar productivity. Remember that if your roof is low enough to spray from the ground, but high enough to need a pressure washer or nozzle to concentrate hose pressure, don't destroy the solar panels directly with pulses of high-pressure water. If it's clear that your panels need to be cleaned in one way or another, the next step is to determine the best step to take.
At this point, the option is to call the company that installed your solar panel system to ask if they offer cleaning services. Some types of panels have inverters underneath the panel and can be easily destroyed with a jet of water. For example, if you don't clean your solar panels regularly and the accumulated debris shortens their lifespan, the warranty may not cover them. It is generally recommended to clean solar panels every 6 months or a year to maintain the productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the panels.
Solar panels aren't cheap, a significant amount of money is spent to install them in your home, so you need to make sure you get the ROI (return on investment) as soon as possible.
