Promised is debt! After talking about solar panel maintenance, today we are going to share with you how to clean them, their importance to maximize efficiency and energy production, and how to use a solar panel cleaning kit to save money on your electricity bill. .
Next, we answer the main questions that those who have self-consumption systems have, about the maintenance of solar panels and the washing of photovoltaic modules.
How are solar panels cleaned?
What to take into account when using a module cleaning system? You could assess about the advantages of investing in a solar panel cleaning brush for your self-consumption installation and/or keep up to date with the innovative cleaning solutions for Karcher solar panels. With this you will achieve a good regular maintenance of the solar panels and a reduction of the electricity bill thanks to it.
Solar panel cleaning brush.
What if the solar panels are dirty?
Over time, it is normal for a layer of dirt to accumulate on the surface of the panel. This is a consequence of airborne dust, bird droppings, pollen from flowers, tree leaves and other particles. All of this can decrease the power of solar panels and even lead to hot spots.
Dirt on the surface of the panel.
To generate energy, photovoltaic panels must be exposed to sunlight. For this reason, they are also subjected to unfavorable weather conditions and have to withstand the elements. Unless you live in an area with significant levels of pollution, dirt, sand or snow, it is not necessary to clean your solar panels frequently. In most cases, rain is enough, although if you are in coastal or highly polluted areas it might be beneficial to periodically spray the modules.
What to use to clean solar panels?
Cleaning materials
When cleaning, it is essential to take into account that the surface of the panel (glass) should not be scratched or damaged, as this can considerably reduce its performance.
Cleaning solar panels carefully so as not to scratch or damage the glass.
The ideal method to do this is to use lukewarm water and carefully. Try to use only water, without chemicals or abrasives. It is not recommended to use these harsh cleaning products as they can damage or even scratch the glass. Therefore, to remove dirt, it is advisable to use something that does not push or scratch the panels, such as a window cleaner.
Cleaning solar panels with water.
Cleaning of solar panels with a drone
The use of drones is on the rise and outdoor activities such as cleaning can benefit from this advanced technology. At the moment, only a few engineers use them for facility maintenance activities. However, little by little the designs will adapt to the cleaning of the crystals.
How many times are the solar panels cleaned? How often do you have to clean the solar panels?
Para planTo consider cleaning photovoltaic solar panels, the initial step is to assess the amount of dirt they may have. To assess this there are at least two options:
- The first and most basic would be to visually inspect the photovoltaic panels, to determine if there is dust, bird droppings or other accumulated dirt, so that its severity can be estimated.
- The second alternative would be to take note of whether the production of the photovoltaic system has decreased, although this depends on additional elements in addition to dust or dirt that may cover them. These data can be evaluated with installation monitoring records, in order to compare them.
Is it necessary to hire a solar panel cleaning service? How much do you charge to clean solar panels?
Good cleaning and maintenance -and the complexity of the task- depends on the type of photovoltaic installation. We have observed in this article that doing the cleaning ourselves, with the help of an assistant, is not a difficult task. Of course, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT to adopt all the necessary security measures to access your solar panels.
However, in the event that the solar installation is located in a place that is difficult to access or you have doubts about carrying out work on a roof, it is better to avoid possible dangers. For this, there are services that are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the solar panels, with the essential security guarantees, and with their prices depending on the company and the installation.
Panel cleaning service.
Panel cleaning service.
If you already have a solar panel system in your home, we hope this article has been useful to you. If this is not your case and you are considering installing solar panels or batteries for your home or business, we help you compare before buying solar products and obtain quotes from installers quickly and easily here. 😎
At Quiero Sol we help you to compare installers, but also to understand the concepts of solar energy, photovoltaic self-consumption and the different factors that determine a good performance of a solar system, such as good maintenance and cleaning to guarantee the maximum performance of solar panels, as in the case today. 🌞
