Cleaning Solar Hot Water Panels

Depending on your location you may need to clean your panels more often than twice a year.

Cleaning solar hot water panels.

Usually a good hosing off will do most of the job but you can also use a soft cloth or a soft bristled brush or broom and some warm soapy water or glass cleaning agent if they are particularly dirty. Be sure to check your panel manufacturer instructions for shutting down the system before cleaning if necessary. The most effective way to clean your solar panels is with a hose and a bucket of soapy water. Cleaning in addition to what is done naturally by rain will boost panel output since on average they will have even less dirt on them but it doesn t help much.

It is not particularly complicated. Cole said solar panel wash is especially helpful in arid locations where dust is high and water is scarce because the wash allows for less water to be used in cleaning. Clean your solar panels on an overcast day early in the morning or in the evening. Gather some distilled water and mix it with a little dish.

Solar panel wash modifies the surface tension of the water so instead of water beading up it will form a continuous film across the solar panels to lift dirt and debris. I have always used clean tap water and a scrubby squeegee thing on a threaded broom handle. Mine are by the sea and get a salt crust on them fairly rapidly so need bi monthly cleaning. Essentially in the same manner you would wash your car at home.

Draindown or drainback systems typically use a controller to drain the collector loop automatically. There are special washing brooms to buy with telescopic handles. How to clean solar panels with water and a soft broom a soft household broom is great to use to gently scrub away persistent bird droppings from the solar panels. If the sun is beating down on the panels any water used can quickly evaporate and dirt will become smeared.

Because you don t want to scratch the panels in any way it s best to use just water and a non abrasive sponge to apply soapy water. Start early in the morning. Disconnect your pv array from the inverter by pushing the rapid shutdown button or pulling down the dc disconnect switch. Solar water heating systems that use only water as a heat transfer fluid are the most vulnerable to freeze damage.

A study done in the united states in tucson arizona found that cleaning solar panels only improved their output by around 1. Optimally time the cleaning of the solar panels. If your panels are readily accessible you can clean them yourself. Brushing any loose dirt off before spraying them with water will make the squeegeeing process quicker and easier.