Category: Solar Panel Cleaning
A Comprehensive Guide To Solar Panel Cleaning
Solar panel cleaning and maintenance is necessary since insufficient care for these solar panels could lower the amount of generated energy for your home. As a system of solar panel will need to get energy from the sunlight, the most important part of solar panel maintenance is keeping the panels always clean. Keep reading to learn some useful tips for cleaning and maintaining the performance of your solar panels.
Buy a cleaning kit for solar panels
In general, a cleaning kit for solar panels should have a small brush, a wiper, a liquid soap, and a brush with a long handle. These tools are quite similar to what you will need to clean a vehicle. Thus, if you can’t buy a cleaning kit which is specifically made for solar panel cleaning, then it is possible to substitute it with a clear cleaning kit instead.
Prepare the cleaning solution
The next step is to make a cleaning solution by mixing water with the soap in a bucket. You can learn about the necessary amount to be mixed on the label of the liquid soap. In most cases, it is approximately equivalent to the amount which you use for cleaning your vehicle.
Rub the solar panels
Dip your brush into the mixture of water and soap, then rub it gently over every solar panel. If your solar system is divided into small parts, you need to get the task done with the help of a smaller handheld brush. For a larger arrangement, however, it could be hard to reach each panel in the centre, so you might have to use a brush with a longer handle.
Wipe solar panels
While the solar panels are wet, you should use a wiper to wiper their surfaces. In most cases, this tool is attached to the back of a brush. It is necessary that you do not let the soap dry on these solar panels because this would limit the amount of sunlight which they would absorb, thus reducing the overall efficiency.
Monitor performance
To keep track of the performance of the solar system, consider installing a monitoring system. When its performance is reduced, you will know that cleaning and maintenance are required. In most cases, these systems must be installed by a professional service with a monthly fee. Some benefits of a monitoring system for solar panels include:
- Keep track of the amount of energy that is produced by each solar panel
- Show you exactly the solar system is benefiting the environment. For example, you can learn about the amount of CO2 emission to get tax benefits.
- Diagnose issues through the monitoring system by getting information about exact areas of the solar system which aren’t working properly and require repairs.
If there are some parts of the system that you can’t clean, then it is advisable to hire a professional solar panel cleaning service. This will reduce the risks of damaging your expensive solar panels.