What Do I Need to Know for Solar Panel Cleaning?

Some common questions ask about solar panel cleaning.

• Is having my solar panels cleaned worth it?
• How much does it cost to have your solar panels cleaned?
• How often should I clean my solar panels?

Is having my solar panels clean worth it?

It will depend on the size of your system and your location along with how dirty your panels are. Smaller systems probably won’t benefit as much from a financial point of view. Cleaned panels will be more efficient than dirty panels. Larger home system to include commercial and agriculture will benefit the most. You can lose significant amount of energy production and lose of efficiency over time the dirtier the panels are some have seen 15%-25% lose if not more. Meaning you will need to get your lose of power back from the grid at the price rates from your energy provider.

Sites in the Los Angeles basin and the Central Valley had dirtier panels. But solar panels heavily soiled with bird droppings should be cleaned. That’s because the droppings essentially block all sunlight and will not be washed away when it rains.

-https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/

How much does it cost to have my solar panels cleaned?

Some companies charge a minimum of a flat rate, per panel and rarely per hour. The time and cost of equipment, maintenance, gas, insurance, payroll, dirtiness of panels, how many stories of the house/building, pitch of roof, safety issues for accessibility all play a factor in the cost.

You might find some fly by the night uninsured or not properly insured for solar panel cleaning/maintenance along with not using proper equipment to save a dollar, leaving you a risk in damages as a customer might take.

Professional solar panel cleaners will often use a filtration system that can cost in the thousands of dollars in order to give you the customer/client best cleaning by removing all hard water and particles from the incoming water source. Price per panel on average has been around $3 up to $10 per panel or more, usually for residential. Commercial and Agriculture will usually have a lower cost per panel due to the high volume of panels needing to be cleaned. Flat rate costs average $150+ minimum. Many factors play a role in cost so it really hard to actually give an exact price.

How often should I have my Solar Panels Cleaned?

At minimum at least annual. Recommended every 6 months. Again other factors paly a role. In California where fires are frequent, cleaning should be done more often to remove the soot. If located near dusty areas, agriculture, freeways, bird droppings, should be cleaned more often. If your located where you have little rainfall or flat roof where the solar panels are not angled and just collecting dust/dirty debris might have to have it cleaned more often. Recommend to monitor your solar production and calculate how much energy you are losing per day/month. Clean your panels yourself or hire a professional for your safety, time and convenience.