Cleaning Solar Hot Water Panels

Gather some distilled water and mix it with a little dish.

Cleaning solar hot water panels.

Start early in the morning. Essentially in the same manner you would wash your car at home. Optimally time the cleaning of the solar panels. A study done in the united states in tucson arizona found that cleaning solar panels only improved their output by around 1.

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. If your panels are readily accessible you can clean them yourself. Clean your solar panels on an overcast day early in the morning or in the evening. I have always used clean tap water and a scrubby squeegee thing on a threaded broom handle.

How to clean those dusty dirty solar panels 1. Disconnect your pv array from the inverter by pushing the rapid shutdown button or pulling down the dc disconnect switch. There are special washing brooms to buy with telescopic handles. 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.

Draindown or drainback systems typically use a controller to drain the collector loop automatically. 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. Mine are by the sea and get a salt crust on them fairly rapidly so need bi monthly cleaning. 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.

Be sure to check your panel manufacturer instructions for shutting down the system before cleaning if necessary. It is not particularly complicated. Brushing any loose dirt off before spraying them with water will make the squeegeeing process quicker and easier. Depending on your location you may need to clean your panels more often than twice a year.

These are fantastic since they make it easy to reach the panels from the ground. 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. The most effective way to clean your solar panels is with a hose and a bucket of soapy water. Gathering all of these tips let s take a look at a review of the steps you need to follow.