More than 3.2% of single homes in the USA have solar panels. According to Solar Energy Industries Association in 2020 solar panel installation increased by 43% compared to 2019. The main reason for that is that solar energy is the cleanest energy source. Solar panels are environmentally friendly and can save you money in the long term. Also, they are low maintenance. Still, even with the little maintenance that they require you should know how to properly take care of them in order to work properly. The safest and easiest way is to hire professionals such as Peak Services. But what happens if you decide to maintain them by yourself? Undoubtedly you can do it without much effort but you should learn the proper way to do it. Read this article and discover what are solar panel cleaning mistakes that you should avoid.
Should every home have a solar panel?
It is certain that the sun can provide us with more energy than we will ever need. Also, it has been noticed that in areas that have more solar panels installed less solar radiation is absorbed by the Earth. The reason for that is because solar radiation gets absorbed by solar panels. And by installing solar panels we can decrease the intake of solar radiation by Earth by 19%.
Not only that solar panels are good because they are environmentally friendly but you can have many benefits if you decide to install them:
- Your energy bills would be much lower
- Lower carbon footprints
- A higher value of your home
Solar panels are good for the environment, but you can also save money by using them
It is true that the installation of solar panels can be costly. There are different types of solar panels and the price will depend mostly on the type. But it is certain that regardless of the type solar panels will save you money in the long run. For all these reasons mentioned above the answer to the question should every home have solar panels is quite simple. Yes – that way we would save our environment and stop the production of harmful carbon emissions.
Take proper care of your solar panels
If you have solar panles you already know that they require little maintenance. Still, there are a few things that you should pay attention to. The first and most important one is to keep them out of the shade and at the right angle. This way you will ensure that there is sufficient energy production. If you keep them away from the sun your solar panels can become useless and won’t give you enough energy. Also, you shouldn’t skip annual inspections as you need to make sure that the panels are working properly. Maintenance of solar panels doesn’t take much time but it will increase their productivity.
There are a few mistakes that you want to avoid when cleaning the solar panel
Solar panels are very easy to maintain and the most important thing is to clean them properly. If you clean them regularly and the right way combined with the annual inspection you will not have to worry about their efficiency. The best way to clean solar panels is to hire solar panel cleaning North Las Vegas services. This is because professionals know all the tricks and have property tools to clean them right without any chances to damage them. But if you decide to clean by your self there are a few solar panel cleaning mistakes that you should avoid.
In order to work properly, you must maintain regularly your solar panels
Never use a pressure washer
Pressure washing is a great way to clean the exterior of your house and remove any dirt from your roof. Still, if you have solar panels you should avoid using it. This is because the high pressure of the water may damage solar panels. Even though it might seem an easier and faster way to clean them avoid pressure washing and use soft and low pressure. This will increase the productivity of solar panels and prevent any possible damage to their frames and the possibility for water to enter between panels. If you don’t have the time it is better to hire residential solar panel cleaning services and ensure the protection of your source of energy.
Do not use hard brushes
Another common mistake that you should avoid is cleaning solar panels with a hard brush. The hard brush may scratch your solar panels which may increase the chance of your solar panels not working properly. When you are maintaining your solar panels apart from low-pressure water it is important to use soft-bristled brushes that will not blemish the panels.
Using hard brush is one of the most common solar panel cleaning mistakes
Avoid the use of any chemicals
One of the most common mistakes that people make when cleaning solar panels is using soap or detergents. You should avoid this because chemicals that soup or detergents contain can damage the photovoltaic cells of the panels. This will reduce the efficiency of solar panels and this is something that you would want to avoid. Especially because the installation of solar panels can be a bit expensive you should take proper care of them and try to avoid all the solar panel cleaning mistakes. That way you will save money on another installation or repair and have solar panels that produce sufficient solar energy that you require.
Rain doesn’t clean panels
As you already have noticed water and a soft brush are enough to maintain and clean your solar panels. Still, this doesn’t mean that rain will clean solar panels so don’t really on that. Rain is not clean water and for that reason, there is a risk that it will not wash off all the dirt and dust that is on your panels.
You already know what happens to your car after the rain. It doesn’t really wash it off but just spreads the dirt around. The same happens with solar panels. So if you rely only on rain to clean your solar panels there is a serious risk of your solar panels getting damaged and losing efficiency due to dust.
One of the most common solar panel cleaning mistakes is thinking that rain will clean them
In case you don’t have time to maintain your solar panels it is better to contact roof cleaning Las Vegas than rely on the rain. They will be able to assist you with the cleaning of your roof and solar panels as well. This way you will have professionals take care of your panels, save time, and avoid any possible damage.
Do not leave your panels wet
The most common solar panel cleaning mistake among people is that they don’t dry them. It is important to use the proper equipment when cleaning them but it is also important to know how to dry them. In case there are wet spots left there might be a chance that there will be a stain left from the water that will prevent proper production of the solar panels. So make sure to use dry soft towels and dry your solar panels with care and thoroughly.
Do not underestimate the importance of bird control
It is important to clean solar panels because of the dust and debris, but also because of the birds’ droppings. Bird dropping contains acids that can be harmful to the environment and to solar panels as well. For that reason, it is important to know how to get rid of the birds under the solar panels and prevent them from nesting on your property.
You should try to keep birds away from solar panels
Another way to keep them away and keep your solar panels clean is to hire solar panel bird proofing services. With their assistance, your panels will be clean of bird dropping and your home will be free from bird flocks that can make damage not only your panels but your garden and plant as well.
Avoid solar panel cleaning mistakes and improve their efficiency
There is no doubt that having solar panels is a costly investment at first. But in order to be efficient, it is important to take proper care of them. And cleaning is the most important part of its maintenance. If you do it properly and you perform an annual inspection at least once a year you can rest assured that your solar panels will work effectively for a long time. All that you have to do is to avoid solar panel cleaning mistakes and rest assured that your panels will provide you with the energy you need. Use water and not soup, clean it with soft brushes and panels, dry it properly and your cleaning maintenance will be done sooner than you think.
