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FAQs
Why Do Solar Panels Need Regular Cleaning?
Constant exposure to the elements will cause all types of unwanted debris to accumulate on the surface of your panels and stand in the sun’s way. Industrial emissions, traffic film, pollen, sea salt, or dust from feed and harvesting on farms will eventually end up on your panels. As a result, your solar power system will eventually lose its efficiency.
Industry experts confirm that dirty solar panels can lose up to 25% of their ability to convert sunlight into usable electricity. Since losing power means losing money, you’ll want your solar panels to produce the maximum amount of energy. Hiring professional solar panel cleaning services will not only allow you to have solar panels that look good, but it will also help you reduce or eliminate your energy bill at the end of the year.
How Often Should They Be Cleaned?
When it comes to the frequency of solar panel cleaning, you have to consider the location of your solar panels, their angle, the surrounding atmosphere, and the weather. If you live in an area where the weather is mostly dry, unwanted airborne particles are blown around in the breeze. Moreover, if the weather is mostly rainy, the raindrops absorb these particles and create a film of dirt on the surface of your panels.
While residential solar panels generally require cleaning every 12 months, commercial installs must be cleaned every six months. However, if you installed your solar power system on a farm building, you’ll want to clean them every three to four months.
What Percentage Increase in Production Can I See After Solar Panel Cleaning?
Newly-cleaned solar panels installed for two years on a two-story building in an urban area will increase their energy production by 10%. Moreover, you can expect to see a 15% to 40% increase in output after cleaning two-year-old solar installations on commercial rooftops. Solar panel cleaning on arrays in farms or rural areas increases their ability to generate energy by 20% to 43%.
If your solar panels run at their maximum possible efficiency throughout the year, you can expect to see your return on investment (ROI) in 10 years from the day you had them installed. However, if they continue to lose up to 25% of their energy output each year from not being cleaned, you’ll have to wait an extra two years to get your ROI. For this reason, the best way to keep your solar panels running to their maximum efficiency is to hire a professional to clean them.
the best results after getting a residential Solar Panel Cleaning service in Winston Salem
What Are the Benefits of Hiring Professionals for Solar Panel Cleaning?
Although it may be tempting to opt for the money-saving lure of DIY solar panel cleaning, professional services offer undeniable benefits that DIY efforts may not measure up to. Trying to clean them yourself without proper training increases your risk of hurting your investment.
Remember that solar panels are delicate, just like any other electronic gadget. Scrubbing them with a stiff brush or scrubbing them too hard may leave scratches on their surface and cause damage to the additional hardware they’re connected to. Likewise, using the wrong kind of soap will leave a film on the panels that will block the sunlight and encourage faster dirt build-up.
Wrong cleaning methods can still cause damage to your solar panels even if you’re using the right materials. While experts recommend using water to clean the panels, failing to attain the correct water pressure may not entirely clean your power system or break the protective glass. It’s best to leave solar panel cleaning to the hands of the solar experts.
You’ll Get the Best Results
Solar panels have corners that may be difficult to reach. If you clean these areas without using the right equipment, you’ll likely miss a few corners. Likewise, washing the panels with cold water under the sweltering heat of the sun will leave unsightly watermarks on the protective glass or cause the glass to crack.
Hiring a reliable professional solar panel cleaning service ensures that every part of your solar power system is thoroughly cleaned, and you’ll get the best results.