Reasons to Clean Your Solar Panels

On This Page:



• What are the Compositions of Solar Panels
• What Causes Dirty Solar Panels
• Benefits of Cleaning Solar Panels
• What is Involved in a Solar Cleaning

According to a report by Energy Council Australia, the Clean Energy Regulator (CER) data showed more than 52,000 new installations of rooftop solar PV in the first quarter of 2022, increasing capacity by 417 megawatts (MW). The increase Solar PV's uptake is encouraging news as more energy users are shifting towards renewable energy. However, less is said about the importance of cleaning your commercial solar panels regularly.

Solar panels are composed of various materials, some of which are extremely sensitive. When cleaned improperly or neglected, these materials can cause corrosion or even begin to break down the panels. This will not only reduce the solar output but can also become a safety hazard. 

What causes dirty solar panels?

Dirty solar panels can affect the output of your system, meaning they will cost you more money in your electricity bill. There are several reasons why your solar panels could be dirty. Some of the most common causes are:

• Water damage: if water gets inside the panel, it can cause corrosion and reduce the amount of output.
• Debris: Debris from plants and animal droppings may get stuck in between the cells and cause blockages to prevent electricity from flowing freely through the solar panels
• Dust build-up: Dust can slowly build up on your solar panels over time if you don’t clean them often enough
• Rainwater: Rainwater can seep into your solar panel, causing water damage and rust around the metal connections due to corrosion. 

Benefits of Cleaning Solar Panels

The main benefit of cleaning your commercial solar panels is to ensure their long-term performance and to avoid the system’s degradation, which can reduce energy production and increase maintenance costs. Here are the benefits of cleaning solar panels:

Improve efficiency

Solar panels work by converting sunlight into electricity. If there is dirt, debris and rainwater on the surface of the solar, it can affect how much light is absorbed therefore reducing the system’s efficiency.

Maintain your warranty

Solar panel manufacturers and installation companies require owners to clean and regularly maintain their solar panels. Failure to clean your solar panels regularly may void your warranty, forcing you to pay for any damages to your solar panels. Regular cleaning is a reassurance that any damages are not a result of neglect.

Improve your building’s aesthetic appeal

Dirty solar panels can give any customers or visitors who see them the impression of a poorly kept premise. Regular solar cleaning may increase your premises’ aesthetic appeal.

Inspect Your Solar Panels for Safety

Cleaning your solar panels allow wear-and-tear, and any damage to be fixed before it compromises your premise’s energy efficiency or safety.

What is Involved in Solar Panel Cleaning?

Quality Energy’s expert engineers will thoroughly inspect these components of your system:

1. Panels: By determining the age of your system and examining panels for wear and tear, we can hold manufacturers to their warranties if there are any faults or defects. Picking up issues early will aid in preserving system life at its peak level of efficiency.
2. Inverters: Quality Energy’s engineers will analyse your inverters to determine if they are running efficiently.
3. Cabling & Isolator: We inspect all cabling and isolators to make sure they’re operating in a safe condition and clear of potential water ingress.
4. Racking: A relatively simple component but an extremely important one—the integrity of the racking is crucial in maintaining the safety of your panels and of course your roof. Inadequate installations could easily result in a hefty repair bill.
5. Overall Performance: Our team will run performance diagnostics to determine the overall output of your system and if needed, suggest how to improve functionality.

Quality Energy's mission is to help businesses find smarter, economical ways to use energy. We also tailor renewable energy solutions such as solar and EV charger installations, to help businesses reduce their carbon emission. We're a Clean Energy Council Approved Solar Retailer and an award-winning business.

Call us at 1800 736 374 or contact us to arrange for solar panel cleaning.