6 Reasons Why Solar Panels Need to be Cleaned Regularly

Many solar panel owners ignore the importance of cleaning their panels regularly. If you don’t do this often enough, the performance of your system will be decreased because of the repelling layer of grime on them. For this reason, periodical cleaning is extremely important if you want maximum results.
Following are 7 reasons why you should clean your solar panels regularly:

1. Improve efficiency
There is no doubt that cleaning your panels will increase their overall efficiency. According to many statistical observations, this efficiency and performance improvement can be dramatic, up to 21% in residential arrays and up to 60% in commercial installations. So it’s the best way to ensure that your panels are prepped for maximum efficiency. Regular cleaning can make a huge difference!

2. Warranty
Many solar panel installation companies as well as manufacturers have specified regular cleaning as a warranty condition. You may not be covered by the warranty if there is no proof of regular cleaning. That’s why regular cleaning is recommended if you want to be on the safe side in case there is a malfunction at some point.

3. Rainwater doesn’t do it for you
Most solar panel owners don’t clean their panels after it rains because they think they don’t need to because the rain water will do it for them. But that’s not true. Similar to how you need to clean your car’s windshield more often during the rainy season, your solar panels need to be cleaned more often as well. So, it is recommended that you don’t rely on rain water to clean your panels automatically, because it just doesn’t happen.

4. Increase durability
There are lots of soft grains of sand, dust particles, and debris in the environment. These will eventually build up and contribute to wear and tear when you don’t clean your solar panels regularly. While it may not be obvious at first, over time your panels’ efficiency will decrease and you also risk ending up having equipment that fails much sooner.

5. Aesthetic appeal
Nobody wants an aged-looking, dirt-covered panel adorning their rooftop. Similar to how important it is to clean the rest of your home, it is also essential to take proper care of your solar panels and clean them regularly. This kind of proper maintenance will make your home more aesthetically appealing to both you and your visitors.

6. Improve ROI time
Solar panels are not cheap, you spend a significant amount of money to have them installed in your home, so you want to ensure that you get ROI (return on investment) as soon as possible. If you don’t clean your panels regularly, it can dent your ROI time. On the other hand, cleaning them improves their efficiency as more light reaches the cells, and you get improved ROI.
In conclusion, cleaning your solar panels regularly does not take a lot of time and is very affordable, so make sure that you don’t leave this important investment in your home grinning with dirt.