14, March, 2018

What's the most effective and safest way to clean solar panels?

A customer asked us about the most effective, and safest, ways to clean solar panels on a roof.

The fact is the majority of solar panels are designed to be self-cleaning, and as such require little or no cleaning.

However, in certain situations, such as solar panels mounted in a particularly dry area (allowing dust and bird droppings to build up) or where the panel tilt angle is less than five degrees, cleaning is recommended to ensure the panels continue to work efficiently.

Solare panel manufacturers suggest that using plain fresh water will be sufficient for cleaning most solar panels. They also recommend not using detergents, which could cause streaking and thus compromise the effectiveness of the panels. (Note: In hard water areas it would be crucial to wipe all water from the solar panels to prevent limescale/calcium building up)

So if you have a window cleaning WFP set-up with de-ionised water, that is the best way to clean solar panels. And of course add a few drops of Benz Window Cleanze to your de-ionised water help remove bird droppings and spider poo. (Benz Window Cleanze does not leave streaks)

Btw: When softwashing the roof with Benz Bio Cleanze or Benz Lightning Cleanze it will be important to ensure the solar panels are not splashed or get covered with spray drift. It is highly unlikely that they would be damaged but it's best to be safe, and of course your customer will not want the effectiveness of their panels compromised.

The solution is simple: Use a brush for applying the biocides, which will enable you to easily avoid getting biocide onto the solar panels. And of course cleaning the solar panels after softwashing the roof with de-ionised water and Window Cleanze will remove any biocide that accidentally got onto them.

If you are in any doubt about the best way to clean solar panels we suggest contacting the manufacturers of the panels and asking for their advice. Materials are continually evolving and it would be wise to check that they have not introduced some new substance into the construction of the panels that cleaning could inadvertently compromise.

We hope this information is helpful and inspires you to succeed in your softwashing business.

Cheers,

Ben, Leo & Fiona

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