Considering that your PV solar panels don’t require much maintenance at all, it’s not all that difficult to find out how to clean PV solar panels. The only problem you may face is that of height, and, if you don’t like heights, it’ll be easier on you to rope someone else in to give them a clean when it’s necessary.
If your PV solar panels are ground-mounted, it’s obviously going to be very easy to keep them clean. Where you live, or where your business is located will also have an impact on how often you may need to clean the solar panels, especially if they aren’t mounted with much of a tilt.
How to clean PV solar panels
Having PV solar panels in Cape Town can be a real bonus due to pretty regular rainfall and wind, which does help to minimize the buildup of dust, not to mention droppings left by pesky seagulls!
If, however, you live in a drier region, you’ll be doing yourself a favor by checking your solar panels at least once every six months, less if need be. If the solar panels are left with accumulated dirt for a long time, they can lose up to 25% of their efficiency if they’re not cleaned.
In the city and in industrial areas you’ll need to clean the solar panels pretty regularly, especially in the face of pollution such as oil and dirt, which is increased by commerce and manufacturing plants.
Will cleaning PV solar panels make a difference?
It’s well worth the time and mild effort it takes to clean your solar panels a few times a year, depending on the conditions mentioned above, making sure that you get the most out of what is one of the best investments today!
You want to get the most out of your PV solar system or solar water heating system, cashing in on the excellent ROI that solar panels with their 20+ year lifespan offer.
Tips for cleaning PV solar panels:
Suggestion; chat to the friendly team at Renaissance Solar about cleaning your solar panels. They’ll know all there is to know about the area in which you live and prevailing weather conditions, as well as how they may impact the solar panels.
* Use a soft broom or brush with extension to get rid of leaves and dust on the solar panels. You could also use one of those long window wipers to reach the more difficult corners of the panels.
* Your garden hose can do magic in terms of cleaning some of the grime that may have accumulated on the panels – don’t use a high-pressure hose!
* Don’t use any hard, harsh brushes or tools. This could scratch your solar panels, affect their lifespan and have a negative impact on their performance. This should be as close to a lifetime investment as you can come, making it worth tender loving care!
* Use a mild soap, but not too much of it, in slightly warm water to clean tough spots such as bird droppings. A soft sponge will do wonders if you drop some of the soapy water on the tough spots, leave for a few minutes and then wipe off.
* If you love the early morning hours as the sun begins to rise, head up to the roof and tackle the solar panels before it gets too hot.
Of course you’re going to need a ladder to get to the roof, but that’ll also be an excellent investment in keeping the solar panels healthy, and, as an added bonus, keeping an eye on the condition of your roof!
* Put a hat on, plenty of sunscreen and choose a cool, overcast day to clean solar panels that get extremely hot to the touch on sunny days. While you’re at it you may as well start dreaming about just how much space you have for even more PV solar panels in the future!
Contact Renaissance Solar in Cape Town for any further information you may need regarding solar hot water systems, cleaning and maintaining your solar panels, or planning the best PV solar system to suit your home or business energy requirements.
