Cleaning solar panels
Your panels don’t need much at all in the way of cleaning.
By PlentyMag.comWed, Apr 08 2009 at 12:04 PM EST
SOLAR PANELS: How to clean your solar panels. 
Q: I recently bought a home that came with solar panels, and a friend mentioned that I’d have to clean them. Really? How often? – Cinderella, VT
A: Good news, Cinderelly. Your panels don’t need much at all in the way of cleaning. Rain is enough to do the trick in most areas, though a spray with the hose twice a year won’t hurt, especially if it’s been a particularly dry and dusty season. Just don’t do it during peak sunlight hours, when the panels are hot, and don’t ever walk on your panels. If you notice bird droppings sticking to the modules, knock them off with the long, round handle of a broom, or something that won’t scratch glass. And solar PV panels usually shed snow well, according to George Douglass, spokesperson for National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Colorado, but you do live in Vermont, after all. If you’re lucky enough to have enough snow that it becomes a problem, just climb on up and give it a gentle knock with that same broom handle.
Story by Tobin Hack. This article originally appeared in "Plenty" in January 2008.
Copyright Environ Press 2008
Comments
Max Madera
10/21/2010 22:49 PM
I find it strange that you are promoting the fact that solar panels do not need to be cleaned consistently. Are you aware of the implications that dirt,dust, and grime can cause on your kw/h?
I own my own set of solar panels, a 24kw/h system. After 3 months of use, my energy production dropped dramatically to 16 kw/h. I could not believe what I was seeing. I walked outside to take a closer look at my solar panels, afraid that some may be broken. I quickly came to find that their was a.... More
