Why Clean Your Solar Panels

Google did a study on the need to clean solar panels.

Why clean your solar panels.

In most cases you won t need to clean your solar panels often if at all. If the sun is beating down on the panels any water used can quickly evaporate and dirt will become smeared. Looking after your solar investment will help you to squeeze more juice out of your pv panels helping to maximise the value that your solar panels deliver. Due to the upwards angle of solar panels they are more prone to bird droppings and a build up of general dust and dirt that does not wash off with just rain.

How to clean solar panels the first thing you want to do is to check with your solar panel manufacturer. However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. They found that tilted panels don t require cleaning as much as flat panels. Solar panels are generally pretty much self cleaning as natural rainfall will usually wash away the accumulated dust and grime.

Your solar panels need to be exposed to sunlight in order to produce power. However if your solar panels are only tilted minimally or you live in a high traffic dry or dusty area or even by the sea then you re going to need to clean your solar panels in order for them to continue generating maximum output of power. This was confirmed by another study by engineers at the university of california san diego which found that a minimum five degree angle helped debris to slide off the panels. Solar panels can become incredible hot in sunshine.

After all anything that accumulates dirt on them for example dust or pollen will get washed off the next time it rains. Why clean solar panels. First try if your garden hose. Solar panels work by allowing light into the solar cells.

There are some times it might make sense to clean your solar panels though. The more light the panel is exposed to the more energy it generates which is why it s important to point your panels upward toward the sun and have clean solar panels but this means they are exposed to bird droppings rain dust and debris. The panels work by collecting the rays of the sun and converting them into energy. Clean your solar panelson an overcast day early in the morning or in the evening.

Either clean your solar panels in the morning afternoon or pick a. Early morning can be a particularly good time for cleaning as dew that has settled on the panels overnight will likely have softened grime. They might have specific recommendations. A car that s well oiled and serviced runs better so there s no surprise that solar panels do their job more efficiently when they re given the same level of attention.

Beyond the set of wheels in our garages we like to keep our windows crystal clear and free of grime too.