Dirty Panels Reduce Energy Production: This is Why You Need Commercial Solar Panel Cleaning
Solar Panel Cleaning: While you as a commercial business owner may be good about power washing your exteriors such as roofing and siding, as well as washing your windows regularly, you may be guilty of neglecting solar panel cleaning. Whether you assume they’re too delicate to be washed, or you just don’t think about them at all, it’s critical to softwash your solar panels to protect your investment.
It will save you money and energy in the long run. Were you aware that dirt cuts down on your panels’ energy production and efficiency? You can boost your power output and solar system efficiency by as much as 20 percent in heavy soil areas such as air traffic paths and farms, when you regularly clean them.
But you shouldn’t attempt to wash them yourselves. Just as with your siding, parking lots and roofing, you should always call a licensed and insured power washing professional to clean your solar panel system. Getting a higher ROI on your solar panels sooner rather than later will depend on quality, regular washing.
Here Comes the Sun
You get more stored energy that’s free and renewable when more sunlight hits your solar panels. It’s hard for UV rays to access panels caked with dirt or grime, which means you’re not harnessing the full power of the sun. You’re actually damaging your bottom line, and working against yourself in regards to achieving full power.
You may think a good rain will do the trick, but it won’t. Just like it can’t clean your vehicle, it can’t clean your panels. That’s because rainwater contains airborne dust particles that settle onto your panels and attach themselves to the surface. Calcium and hard water deposits form once that rainwater evaporates, making your solar panels look even more unattractive.
Consider what happens when you fail to wash your car’s windshields. Visibility is drastically reduced because of all that built-up dirt, right? Well, it’s the same with solar panels.
Popular Mechanics says panel pollution reduces their efficiency by up to 25 percent. In fact, one study found that just a few weeks of dirt buildup was enough to block a lot of the sunlight from reaching the solar panels. Once the panels got a thorough cleaning, there was a 50 percent increase in efficiency.
Contact Clearview Washing
Clearview Washing specializes in solar panel cleaning, using a softwash process that’s gentle enough to protect your panels yet tough enough to remove built-up grime. To schedule your solar panel cleaning, contact us at 732-462-1187.
