Professional Solar Panel Cleaning Services
Here at Brisbane Window & Solar Panel Cleaning, we know that your solar power system is a long-term economic and environmental investment, and we’re happy to offer solar panel cleaning Brisbane wide. And like any considerable investment, regular solar panel cleaning and maintenance are needed to maximise its efficiency and get the most out of your system. One of the most overlooked aspects of solar power maintenance – yet also one of its most important – is keeping your solar panel system clean.
That’s where Brisbane Window & Solar Panel Cleaning comes in. Clean solar panels are more efficient, allowing you to generate as much power as they were designed to. If your solar panels aren’t as clean as they could be, then you could be losing out on some power and returns on your investment. In many cases, dirty solar panels may even reduce electricity output by as much as 25%. Brisbane Window Cleaning specialise in professional solar panel cleaning across Brisbane and surrounds, so you don’t have to worry about maintaining your system yourself – call us today!
Why Your Solar Panels Need Cleaning
As you know, solar panels rely on capturing sunlight to generate electricity, with the amount of electricity you generate depending largely on how much sunlight that your solar panels have absorbed. The more sunlight that it captures, the more power you generate.Naturally, anything that hinders your solar panels’ absorption of sunlight will affect your power generation. Debris and other outdoor elements, for example, can prevent some sunlight from getting through to your panels and being absorbed. Not to mention all the dust and dirt that solar panels will naturally accumulate after a period of time. The following are some of the common culprits that make solar panels dirty and can affect your power output:
- Wind dust
- Flowers and pollen
- Leaves and branches
- Bird droppings
- Airborne pollutants
Regular cleaning is recommended for solar panels that are tilted almost flat, since solar panel setup tends to collect more water, dirt, and other materials more than others.
Solar Panel Cleaning Brisbane – Not As Easy As It Looks!
Solar panels may look simple, but cleaning them is a whole different matter. Although most solar panel are often described as ‘self-cleaning’, they normally develop thin layers of dirt and grime on their surfaces, which, in some cases, may be not enough for rainwater or a light rinse to wash away.
Leaving it to rainwater can only do so much (especially if you live in particularly dry areas), and rinsing them with a hose will hardly graze deep-seated layers of dirt. But this hasn’t stopped many people from attempting to clean their solar panels themselves.
While it’s certainly possible for owners to thoroughly clean their own solar panels, it’s not as simple and straightforward as most people think. A proper clean involves more than just scrubbing the panels with soap and water; it requires a more meticulous approach that not only takes away any dirt and debris, but also keeps the panels in top condition. Depending on your system’s size and configuration, you may also need specialised tools and equipment to do this successfully.
Complications of Solar Panel Cleaning
Manually cleaning your solar panels is far from easy, and you face a number of obstacles when you try to do it on your own.
- Personal safety
The first obstacle to cleaning solar panels is reaching them. Solar panels are normally installed in roofs and upper structures, which makes it inaccessible to the average homeowner. And, of course, the higher the roof or structure that it’s installed on, the greater the risks you face. To many, going up on their roofs to clean their solar panels is not worth the risk of falling or getting injured. Even if they do have a special tool that could reach their solar panels from a window, chances are they still wouldn’t be able to clean them as thoroughly as they’d like.
- Plenty of time and effort required
Yes, cleaning solar panels may look simple and easy, but that doesn’t mean that it’ll be a walk in the park. Simply put, if you want to clean your solar panel system properly by yourself, then you have to spend a significant amount of time and effort to do it. There’s no question that cleaning solar panels takes time – a lot it in fact. From researching how to do it correctly to figuring out how to safely and effectively clean them, expect to spend several hours just for this activity. And, of course, the more solar panels you have, the more time you have to allot for cleaning them. Aside from the time spent on cleaning, you’ll also need to put in a lot of effort to do it properly. Cleaning solar panels is tedious work, involving plenty of preparation, wiping, washing, scrubbing, and rinsing for each solar panel you own. The work may be simple and straightforward, but it can nonetheless be as backbreaking and tiresome as any other manual labour.
- Weather
Another factor you have to contend with is the weather. In most cases, cleaning solar panels is a decidedly outdoor activity. As such, you’re often at the mercy of nature when cleaning your solar panels. You can certainly schedule its cleaning on favourable weather and conditions. But, as you know, weather can be very unpredictable or rarely goes according to plan. The more extreme and unpredictable the weather is, the more difficult cleaning solar panels can be. Cleaning solar panels during hot, humid summers can be brutal, and the same goes for cold, wintry days. It may not seem like much in the first few minutes, but you’ll definitely feel it as the hours go by.
- Scratches and marks
Although solar panels built to last years and withstand extreme conditions, that doesn’t mean that they’re indestructible and immune to negligence. They may be encased in protective materials, but they’re still fairly easy to scratch and mark, especially when using the wrong equipment or if you don’t know what you’re doing. If severe and plenty enough, these scratches and marks can affect your solar panels’ performance.
Let the Solar Panel Cleaning Professionals Do It
To many, the amount of time, effort, and expertise required to clean solar panels is simply too much to do by themselves. Yes, it’s certainly possible to do it on your own, but it’s still a safer bet to hire a team of professionals to do it for you. Not only does this save you a significant amount of time and effort, but you’ll also get the peace of mind that your solar panels are being handled and maintained by specialists who know what they’re doing.
Although Brisbane Window & Solar Panel Cleaning are better known for our other services – such as window cleaning Brisbane wide – you’ll be glad to know that we also specialise in cleaning solar panels. Our team of solar panel specialists at know how to get the job done and have years of experience in cleaning a variety of solar panel setups and configurations.
Our Solar Panel cleaners are also trained to work in varying degrees of heights, so the risks of falling and getting injured are minimised when working with our team. In fact, all of our professional solar panel cleaners carry an RIIWHS204D card with them – proof that they know how to work safely in heights and similar settings. Furthermore, our solar panel cleaning Brisbane service also uses chemical-free solutions. Not only does this make our service more environment-friendly, but also safer, especially for those who collect rainwater from roofs. This means no chemical run-offs in water tanks and no strong, harmful substance leeching into the ground. We also won’t use abrasives or squeegees on your solar panels, ensuring its protection and preventing unwanted scratches and marks on their surfaces.
Don’t let your investment go to waste
Without proper maintenance and cleaning, your solar panel system won’t be functioning at its best. While solar panel efficiency does naturally decrease over time, neglecting to clean and maintain them can certainly make that loss even greater. When that happens, then you definitely won’t be generating as much electricity that you could be making. These losses may seem negligible on a month on month basis, but they add up and become significant when you take into account the entire lifespan of your solar panels.
In some cases, dirty solar panels can lead to the voiding of your manufacturer’s warranty. This can occur when dirt and debris cause system problems and outages that aren’t covered in your package. Another similar scenario is when those who opt to clean the solar panels themselves don’t know how to do it properly and end up damaging the panels instead.
Protect your solar panels with professional cleaning
If you’re making an investment as substantial as a solar power system, it’s only natural to likewise invest in its professional cleaning and maintenance. In most cases, an investment on specialists like our solar panel cleaning Brisbane service is a small price to pay to get your system working in top condition for several years. While small in the beginning, the savings you make from keeping your solar panels clean and maximising your power output will add up through the years. The longer you keep your solar panels in top working order, the greater and more significant your savings will be. Keep your solar panels working in peak condition by getting them professionally cleaned today.