Things To Know About Solar Panel Cleaning
Solar panels are a great investment for any homeowner or business. They can reduce your electricity bills, improve your property value, and they help the environment! But a solar panel can begin to have a decreased input over time due to dirt, rust or general wear and tear. Below we have outlined some of the ways keeping your solar panels clean can help and how to ensure that you don’t have to worry about decreased returns.
What to Do
1. Make Sure Your System is Shut Down
Live electronics are dangerous and solar panels are no exception. It is important that your system is turned completely off before you attempt to clean your solar panels. There should be a shutdown procedure included inside of your inverter operating manual or user manual.
2. Wait Until It Is Cool
This is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a hot roof plus bare skin can equal some bad burns. Add in sunburn and you won’t enjoy the side-effects of having clean solar panels. Additionally, hot glass mixed with the cool water you’ll be using to clean your panels can lead to a chance of cracks! Early morning is a particularly good idea as the overnight condensation may have helped loosen any grime or dirt on your panels.
3. Clean From The Ground
For safety reasons, your best bet is to try cleaning your solar panels while keeping your feet on solid ground. Climbing onto your roof can be extremely dangerous as the roof can become quite slippery with the addition of water to an already unsafe situation. Unless you have the correct safety equipment then it is advisable to stay on the ground and use a hose to direct water onto your panels. Using the correct nozzle should allow you to remove most grime and dirt from the surface of your solar panels.
When Should You Contact A Professional?
If you are unable to get grime or dirt off of your solar panels while keeping your feet on the ground or if you are finding that the output from your solar panels has significantly decreased, then it might be time to call in the experts. Solar experts are certified to work with the electronics involved in your solar panel and are also able to safely get up on your roof to clean/check the panels. Furthermore, if the panels are sparklingly clean and the power has still dropped, then your solar panel experts will be able to provide you with a diagnostic of the situation.
Want some help ensuring your solar panels are clean? Contact the expert team at BSS Solar today!