Since the beginning of the solar industry boom, this has been a question that follows (or even precedes) a solar installation: do I need to have my solar panel cleaned? It is not necessarily obvious, but with a little effort, we will show you why you must get your solar panels cleaned periodically.
“The Rain will clean them”
While we love precipitation and rain and thunderstorms and all, we are under no impression that rain actually cleans anything. Rain just recycles and regurgitates all of the particles and dirt debris that are picked up from the atmosphere (even from miles away from where the actual droplets fall). How many cars out there do you think look spotless and pristine purely from getting bathed by natural rain? I’d guess ZERO. In our professional opinion, it is not viable to rely on rain to wash your solar panels.
Location
The geographically defined location impacts the need for cleaning as well. Near the ocean? Near a part of town that has been under a lot of construction? Near the highway? Are panels partially located under foliage or trees? All of these items can impact the need for cleaning. Salt in the air, dust in the air, sap from trees, and pollen (dreaded pollen) are all factors involved in whether or not your panels need a cleaning.
Pitch
We’ve heard it said that the pitch of your roof can impact the level of dirt build-up on your solar panels. We just haven’t seen anything that shows us the steeper the roof, the less the buildup. From flat roofs to 10/12 sloped roofs – the buildup is more locationally driven (see above paragraph) than pitch-driven. But we’d love to proven wrong, even this this take is more subjective and anecdotal in nature.
Why do I have to clean my solar panels?
Simply put, they need to be able to absorb the sun’s energy. When there are layers of dirt, organic growth, or molds those cause a reduction in production. You’ve invested thousands of dollars in a system and you deserve it to work at its highest functionality.
By hiring our team at Fresh Rinse of Belle Terre we take pride in providing a valuable, tangible service at an affordable rate. Please feel free to reach out here or you can call us at 386-597-3520.
In addition to solar panel cleaning, we also provide pressure washing and soft washing services so please ask about additional services.
Stay Fresh Friends!