Last week, we gave you a heads up that the weather is
getting warmer, so it’s a good time to make sure your solar panels are clean.
Despite what many people may think, cleaning your solar panels is actually much
more important than just keeping your home looking good.
If your solar panels are covered with dirt or debris, the
sun won’t be able to hit every part of the solar panel possible. This means
that your solar panels won’t be working as efficiently as they possibly can be,
and isn’t that why you decided to go solar in the first place? When you
switched your home from standard electricity to solar powered products, you
wanted to save money while powering your home. However, if you panels are
dirty, they won’t be able to, and you’ll essentially be back at square one in the
sense of being ‘energy efficient’.
When it comes to cleaning the panels themselves, the process
isn’t as daunting as one might think. The first thing you (or a partner) should
do is get up on your roof and remove any large debris that might be sitting on
top of your panels. Your panels are likely to have large pieces debris on them
if a large tree is nearby or kids play sports in your neighborhood.
Once you’ve gotten rid of any big pieces, use a soft, gentle
soap on a wash rag, or a pool cleaner if you don’t want to stay up on the roof,
to wash the panels. Make sure to never use an abrasive soap with harsh
chemicals, as these could damage the finish and leave the panels exposed to weather
or debris that can scratch.
This process can be done once a month, depending on the time
of the year. Since Arizona is prone to haboobs, or “dust storms” in the summer,
panels can get dusty very often, and very quickly. Keep an eye out for these
storms, and make sure you clean your panels once the dust has completely settled,
usually the next day.
To keep your panels extra squeaky clean, simple rinse them
off with water from the garden hose, once a week, or as often as you like.