When you’re deciding on purchasing solar panels for your home, there are a lot of things you’ll do first before making your decision. Whether you’re researching “how do solar panels work” or “how much do solar panels cost,” you’ll come across plenty of useful information and tips for making the most of your purchase.
However, one detail that doesn’t come up as often is what kind of water you need for solar panel maintenance. Most of us assume when we learn how to clean solar panels that regular water, whether by connecting to our home’s water source or cleaning off the panels with a hose, is acceptable for solar panel maintenance. The problem is that many of our water sources contain calcium, also known as hard water, which can create several issues with residential solar panels and commercial solar panels.
Cleaning solar panels with hard water makes a huge difference, and not in a good way! Over time, hard water can leave water spots and cause calcium buildup on your solar panels—which ultimately leads to scaling. This scaling can reduce the electrical output of your solar panels, reverse their polarity, and lead to hot spots.
Ultimately, hot spots can kill residential solar panels, commercial solar panels, RV solar panels, and pretty much every type of solar panel in the market today. Caused by scaling, chemicals, dirt buildup, and more, these areas of high temperature decrease the energy production of your solar panels and can gradually intensify to completely negate your panel’s performance.
When choosing between solar panel kits, defining how and who will clean your solar panels can make a world of difference in preventing hard water damage. Many people choose to do it themselves, while others choose to hire a solar panel maintenance company—but there are drawbacks to both of these choices. A DIY approach can lead to fall and safety risks while hiring someone can come with high solar panel maintenance costs.
As a gold standard in automated solar panel cleaning, RST CleanTech Solutions’s system is a cost-effective and convenient solution for solar panel maintenance. Through filtering technologies and advanced water engineering, our cleaning system can treat scaling and corrosion found in water sources around the world. This means less time worrying about build-up and damage from your water source, and more time enjoying the benefits of your solar panels.
Beyond the benefits of water filtration, the RST CleanTech Solution’s system can help your solar panels produce up to 30% more energy. With its automated weekly cleaning schedule, this revolutionary system minimizes any energy production loss caused by soiling from dirt, dust, and debris. The RST CleanTech Solutions system also cleans at night with soft, pure water and without chemicals or abrasives—which means less thermal stress on solar panels and more protection from voiding your warranty.
Choosing the right option for solar panel maintenance comes down to what works best for your budget, your household, and your solar panels. At the end of the day, we can all agree that hard water can cause issues for your solar panels—so take the time to do your research and find the best (and hopefully calcium-free) option that’s right for you!
