As spring arrives and flowers begin to bloom, the abundance of pollen can be a nuisance. Pollen accumulates on your solar panels, hampering their performance. Rain can wash away pollen, but if it hasn’t rained for a while, you’ll have to clean your solar panels on your own. Fortunately, it’s quite easy.
Before you begin, make sure you set up your ladder on solid ground and that it remains stable while you’re on your roof. Have someone hold the ladder for you when you’re climbing up and down. It’s important to minimize any risks of falling off your roof.
Safety is the most important part of cleaning your solar panels. If you feel that you can’t clean your solar panels on your own, contact a local professional to do it for you.
Cleaning tools
As you prepare, have these items on hand:
- A soft brush or squeegee.
- A bucket of water with soap in it.
- A hose.
Cleaning
Once you have your equipment, you’re ready to get started.
- First, rinse the solar panels with your hose at medium to high power. This is usually enough to remove dirt and pollen from the panels. If needed, have someone available to turn the hose on and off while you spray.
- If you need to do a more thorough job (for example, there are bird droppings on your panels), gently scrub the panels with a soft brush and soapy water – similar to how you clean your windshield.
Finishing
- Once you’ve washed your panels, don’t worry about drying them; the sun will do that for you.
- While you’re on your roof, it’s also a good time to check for damage and verify no fasteners are loose.
Remember: Solar panels can become very hot during the day, so try to clean them in the morning, late afternoon or on a cold day to minimize the risk of a burn.
You don’t need to clean your solar panels often, thanks to rainwaters washing them for you. But, it’s a good idea to know how to do it in case there is a shortage of rain and gunk builds up on your panels.
If you want a professional to clean your solar panels, A1A Solar can help.
