Moustaches for gutters: designed to clean gutter leaves, they are also an excellent solution for cleaning leaves under solar panels. Extendable broom: To remove dirt stains and embedded leaves, specially designed extendable brooms can help separate debris. Water is an important factor in cleaning solar panels. After removing dry debris with a brush, a garden hose can remove most of the remaining dirt on solar panels. Lubricant manufacturer Polywater produces a solar panel cleaner to help water remove dirt without leaving a film.
SunSystem technology uses a mixture of diluted vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to remove dirt. If your panels haven't been cleaned for a long time, washing may not be enough to remove dirt. In this case, you should brush off any dry dirt before using a hose. You should avoid chemical agents in general, but you can use a small amount of soap and water to clean stains with an excessive build-up of dirt.
Ideally, clean the surface of the glass with non-abrasive cleaning tools, such as a soft-bristled brush or a rubber squeegee. Many solar panel manufacturers and installers recommend cleaning solar panels at least twice a year, but cleaning needs may vary depending on site conditions. Scientists from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and a NASA-funded project in the United States have developed ways to make solar panels vibrate and remove dust from the surface. The larger the installation size, the more electricity generation is obstructed when the panels are dirty, so large commercial solar installations need to be cleaned more frequently than residential systems.
Solar maintenance companies, such as Bland Company, headquartered in the USA. In the US, and Premier Solar Cleaning have discovered that using deionized water with a rotating or vehicle-mounted brush allows them to clean the panels without using soap, leaving a residue that not only shades the panels but attracts dirt. In addition, homeowners can wash their solar panels manually with a garden hose and a soft sponge without the need to use cleaning agents. Professional solar panel cleaners use the term “dirt losses” to describe the loss of efficiency caused by the buildup of dust and dirt in their photovoltaic system.
However, photovoltaic (PV) cells are only productive when sunlight can reach their surface, so it's important to know how to clean solar panels. Especially in dry climates or near industrial or construction sites, relying on rain to keep panels clean may not be enough. With a few easy to find tools, homeowners can learn how to safely clean solar panels to increase their efficiency, as well as determine when it would be best to hire professional help for solar panel cleaning. For example, you may need to clean the panels more often if you have a lot of trees on your property that deposit leaves, dirt, pollen, and other debris on the panels.
Because of the risks involved, if you can only access solar panels by climbing onto the roof, you should resort to professional cleaning services. Each of the accumulations mentioned above can affect the electrical generation of solar panels per module. To determine the impact of cleaning solar panels, homeowners should review their energy bills before and after cleaning. It may be tempting to spray solar panels with as much water as possible to get the job done quickly, but high-pressure cleaning is likely to create small cracks on their surfaces.
