Your solar system is a substantial investment – whether you have residential solar panels or commercial solar panels. It is an investment that you want to last for as long as possible, which means taking care of your panels the proper way is crucial. Automated Solar Panel Cleaning Systems – particularly systems that clean on a consistent basis are one of the best things you can do for your solar panels and is the ideal way to maintain your solar investment and your warranty.
Four things to expect when having your solar panels cleaned by an automated solar panel cleaning system:
The first point on this list is that with an automated solar panel cleaning system, you can expect an increase in your panel production. Over time, solar panels get dirty. The dirt on the panels, also called soiling, blocks the sun from reaching the panels and thereby reduces production – sometimes up to 30%! There are solar panel cleaning services available that will clean your panels a few times a year which will help production – but only for a short amount of time. Panels can get dirty again after only a few weeks putting you back where you started – losing production. An automated cleaning system that cleans every week prevents your panels from getting dirty in the first place, which in turn results in increased production and lower costs – consistently.
Most warranties require you to clean your panels at least once a year. But cleaning the panels yourself, or even hiring a manual solar cleaning service, comes with the risk of damaging your panels. Cleaning during the day with cold water on hot panel glass causes thermal stress which can crack the glass and void the warranty. Cleaning with high pressure, chemicals, or abrasives can damage the panel glass’ protective coating over time which will also void the panel warranty. And cleaning with tap water will damage your panels as lime-scale buildup voids the warranty. Instead of asking yourself “should I clean my solar panels”?, consider an automated cleaning solution. Automated solar panel cleaning is safe and warranty compliant. It cleans regularly with pure water – and it doesn’t require anyone to be on your roof if you have rooftop solar panels – or poking around your expensive solar asset.
As mentioned in the first point, automated solar panel cleaning increases energy production. But that’s not all! Automated solar panel cleaning replaces other professional solar panel cleaning services with an investment product that will improve your solar investment’s financial returns. Many people see manual cleaning as cheaper – each cleaning is only a small cost compared to acquiring an automated panel cleaning system. However, these manual cleaning costs add up over time. With an automated system, you pay for the installation once. After that, the system continuously brings you savings in the form of increased production and lower utility bills – typically paying for itself within only a few years.
Just like anything else, solar panels require maintenance. As mentioned, dirty panels will reduce production. But if dirt sits on the panels for too long, it can also lead to degradation and eventually damage the panels. In worst cases, it can cause system-failure. Built-up soiling can cause what is called “hot spots”. Hot spots happen when parts of the panel have a decreased efficiency (caused by dirt). This overstresses other parts of the panel which then become hot spots – causing irreversible damage to the panels.
The best way to clean your solar panels is by installing RST CleanTech Technology on your home or business. The system prevents your panels from getting dirty in the first place, avoiding all the headaches that come with dirty solar panels – and increases production by up to 30%. RST is the world’s leading automated solar panel cleaning technology, cleaning over 1,000,000+ panels every day.
