- prestridgesolar
How to clean your own solar panels! D.I.Y.
For all the DIYers out there this one is for you! Cleaning your solar panels at a minimum of once a year is extremely important for the long term efficiency of your PV system. While hiring a professional to clean your panels has become affordable, why not save a couple bucks! In this post we will cover how to correctly clean your solar panels at home!
The first thing you will need to do is gain access to your roof. If using a ladder be sure to use proper ladder safety techniques. Once on the roof be sure to take into account for the type of roofing you have (shingle, composite, tile, clay, concrete tile... etc.). Walking on different types of roofs require different methods and should be researched to see safe practices for yourself and for your roof.
The tools you will need is a couple towels, a garden hose and a window scrubber / squeegee on a pole. Easy enough! Professional solar panel cleaners use deionized water and specialty soft bristle brushes designed for cleaning solar panels but the cost of these filters, poles and brushes can easily land you above $1,000.00. The investment in these tools for your own home is hard to rationalize but with a little more work you can get close to the same results on your own with basic window cleaning tools from your local hardware store.
STEP BY STEP
1) Pre-rinse your solar panels to knock off as much debris and dust as you can.
2) Use your window scrubber on a pole to mob the entire surface of your solar panels starting from the top down. (Sometimes repeating step 1 and 2 is required to get all of the gunk off)
3) Do a final rinse of your solar panels from the top down pushing all of the dirty water off of the panels.
4) Next, sense you wont be using deionized water, the water on the solar panels must be squeegeed off so water spots aren't left on your panels after the water evaporates. Squeegee from the top down to get the bulk of the water off of the panels.
5) After the panels are squeegeed dry, there will be some water trapped at the bottom seal of each solar panel. This can be dried up by using a lint free towel wrapped around the end of your window cleaning pole.
While cleaning your own solar panels is a little tedious, it can be done and is a good way to save a couple bucks while maintaining you PV system.
We all have busy lives and if you find yourself not getting around to doing it yourself or want a high end professional clean, be sure to look into a professional solar cleaning company such as Prestridge Solar!
Prestridge Solar services the entire Central West Coast Region and believes in superior results at an economic value to it's customers. We use deionized water and professional solar specific tools and brushes in our services to ensure a safe, spot free finish. Reach out to us today to schedule a solar panel bath for your home!
PRESTRIDGE SOLAR
(805) 270-3070