How Often Should You Clean Your Solar Panels?

Solar panels are an excellent way to save money on your energy bills and to help protect the environment. However, if you don’t clean your solar panels, you may end up seeing your energy bills start to spike. Additionally, dirty solar panels can greatly impact the curb appeal of your home, making it seem uncared for, even if you put a lot of time and effort into maintaining your house. Thus, solar panel cleaning is essential, both for maintaining their efficacy and your home’s curb appeal.

How often you’ll need to clean your solar panels can vary depending on a number of factors. Here is what you need to know about why you should clean your solar panels and how often you can estimate to have this service done. Let’s dive into it!

Why Should You Clean Your Solar Panels?

There’s quite a bit of debate about whether or not you even need to clean your solar panels. We covered this in our previous blog: Is Solar Panel Cleaning Worth It? We’ll touch on some of the reasons why you should clean your solar panels here as well, for your convenience.

Many people assume that rain is enough to clean your solar panels. While rain can clean away some dust buildup, it can’t do much for bird poop or extensive buildup of debris. Plus, think about what happens to your car when you leave it out in the rain: it gets covered in all these little spots because of the dirty film that rainwater leaves behind. Thus, solar panel cleaning is needed in order to keep your solar panels clean, clear, and in optimal working order.

How Often Should You Clean Your Solar Panels?

The truth is that it depends. In general, it’s recommended that you have your solar panels cleaned once or twice a year. This can vary depending on your environment. For instance, if you live somewhere that doesn’t get much rain, you’ll likely need to schedule more frequent solar panel cleanings because more dirt and debris can build up on your solar panels.

Some of the factors that impact how often you need to clean your solar panels include:

• If you live in a desert climate, the amount of dust and sand that your solar panels are exposed to is more than in other areas. This can increase your need for more frequent solar panel cleaning.
• If you live in a heavily wooded area, you will also likely need to schedule more frequent solar panel cleaning because of the debris that can build up on your solar panels.
• If you live in a heavily populated area or near a freeway or a highway, you will need more frequent solar panel cleaning because of the higher amounts of pollution in the air that can build up on your solar panels. 
• If you live in a relatively clean area that experiences quite a bit of rainfall, you likely will not need to schedule your solar panel cleanings as frequently as those who live in other areas, such as those mentioned above.

Should You Clean Your Solar Panels Yourself?

No. Many people assume that solar panel cleaning is easy and want to save money by attempting to DIY their solar panel cleaning. There are a number of reasons why this job is best left to the professionals.

• Safety. It’s dangerous to try to clean your solar panels. Without the proper training and equipment, you could end up seriously injured. It’s not worth the risk to your health and safety to try to cut costs by DIYing a project like this.
• The potential for damage. Solar panels are delicate. You could accidentally scratch and damage them if you try to clean them yourself. Plus, you could end up covering them in streaks, which would impact their efficiency. 
• Your warranty. In some cases, you could end up voiding your warranty if you try to clean your solar panels yourself. Some solar panel manufacturers require that the job is done by professionals.

Professional solar panel cleaners have the equipment, training, and expertise needed in order to ensure that your solar panels are left sparkling clean without damages or streaks.

Do You Need Solar Panel Cleaning?

If your solar panels are looking grimey and your energy bills are starting to go up, it could be time to clean your solar panels. True Clean Power Wash & Seal provides professional solar panel cleaning services throughout the Charlotte area. Contact us today to learn more or to schedule a cleaning appointment for your home or business.