Rinsing Solar Panels

Rinse off your array with the hose to remove all loose dirt.

Rinsing solar panels.

Use a soft cloth or sponge and wipe them down with the soap solution and then rinse them with the hose. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water or cleaning solution designed for solar panels. Dip your scrub brush in the soapy bucket and scrub the entire surface of the panels until clean. Essentially in the same manner you would wash your car at home.

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. Fill your bucket with clean water and soap. National residential and commercial o m provider sunsystem technology also stays away from soap and uses filtered water and a rotating brush to clean panels but director of marketing jeff struhm said the company uses a mixture of diluted vinegar and hydrogen peroxide to aide in scrubbing away dirt and grime. Snow on solar panels generally doesn t need to be removed it will typically slide off on its own.

If the sun is beating down on the panels any water used can quickly evaporate and dirt will become smeared. In some cases this will be enough to get them clean but sometimes you ll need to do a more thorough cleaning. Be careful not to touch the sides or underside. Most panel installations are tilted at an angle and snow will naturally slide off as it melts.

If snow persists on your panels you can also invest in tools like a solar panel snow rake which makes it easy to safely remove snow covering on solar panels. Clean your solar panelson an overcast day early in the morning or in the evening.