It’s no surprise that solar panels need sunlight to work correctly. If the sun is obstructed by dirt, then the panels produce less power. The more dirt, the more of an impact.
Google actually did some research on their own solar panels and found that the energy doubled overnight after cleaning flat panels that had been in use for a little over a year.
Your solar panels may need to be cleaned because of:
- Dirt and Dust (especially in desert areas or near farms)
- Ash
- Pollen
- Bird droppings
- Leaves
- Organic Debris
Rain usually takes care of slanted panels, but over time some debris may still accumulate in the corners and edges. And relying on just rain may not be enough forever. Think about other outdoor items like your patio furniture – it still looks dirty even though it gets rained on, right? Make sure you schedule some time to do a thorough cleaning no matter what type of solar panel you have.
Track your progress
Keep track of your energy output before and after cleaning – this will show you the impact regular cleaning can have on your solar panels! Over time, you will learn the patterns and this data can give you insight into when it’s time to clean.
Let’s say you think you need to clean every 4 but after a couple of times, you notice that your efficiency doesn’t start to dip until closer to 6 months. Now you can adjust your cleaning schedule to save time and money!