Servicing your panels encompasses verification of the safe operation of the electrical components of the solar photovoltaic system. Will you need to don the rubber gloves and get some sudsy warm water out? Maybe, but cleaning solar panels is usually very light work. As they have no moving parts, your duty of care is minor. That said, they can accumulate dust and grime brought to us by trees, birds and wind. Unclean panels can mean a reduced yield of energy and that’s something we want to avoid.
To keep your system working smoothly and efficiently, a yearly service is recommended. This is to ensure its optimum functionality and to catch any unlikely issues which could be flagged and addressed quickly.
Thanks to the lovely rainfall we experience in Ireland, your panels are unofficially self cleaning. However, depending on the natural debris from the aforementioned shedding trees and birds gone rogue, they may also require an occasional, assisted clean.
While you don’t need to do this frequently, casting your eyes over the panels and cleaning when required ensures best practice with purpose.
3 WAYS NOT TO CLEAN YOUR PANELS
While maintaining your panels couldn’t be any easier there are a few things you should not do:
DO NOT
- Use hard bristle brushes. While going back to basics and using a brush and some soapy water is an effective and simple method, steer clear of hard bristles that could damage your panels and inhibit their ability to capture as much light as possible.
- Use a power/pressure washer – no matter how tempted you may be to jet water at your panels, while cleaning the drains and roof of your house, using high powered water pressure could cause damage.
- Use strong or corrosive cleaning products. We know that dirt can be stubborn but elbow grease and patience is a better choice than using a chemical that could alter the glass panels and reduce their capacity to generate. Look to your dishwashing liquid soaps and say no to anything with a high alcohol content.
If you are not in a position to clean the panels yourself or you’re looking for a thorough panel health check-up’ you can get in touch with us directly to organise professional maintenance.
Three suggested blogs we think you might find interesting after reading this.