Avoid using water with high mineral content.
Cleaning solar panels with hard water.
The grater the difference between the water and the solar panel the greater the chances of the glass cracking due to a sudden temperature change thermal shock.
Cleaning ones solar panels is not hard at all.
Use soft brushes and squeegees.
It can damage panels over time.
All the electrical stuff is safely protected with aluminum frames hardened glass and insulation.
We ll get to the best way to clean your solar panels in a minute.
Fill a bucket or spray bottle with warm water and soap no other special equipment is needed.
Module manufacturers recommend the use of distilled or de ionized water to clean solar panels.
Solar panels are generally self cleaning but in particularly dry areas or where panel tilt is minimal dust and other substances such as bird droppings can build up over time and impact on the amount electricity generated by a module.
The most effective way to clean your solar panels is with a hose and a bucket of soapy water.
They found that tilted panels don t require cleaning as much as flat panels.
As a rule avoid using hard or mineral rich water.
It is not particularly complicated.
Google did a study on the need to clean solar panels.
How to clean your solar panels.
Hard water is generally not harmful to one s health but can pose serious problems in industrial settings and when applied to solar panels.
How to clean solar panels.
Usually a good hosing off will do most of the job but you can also use a soft cloth or a soft bristled brush or broom and some warm soapy water or glass cleaning agent if they are particularly dirty.
They might have specific recommendations for cleaning.
The first thing you want to do is to check with your solar panel manufacturer.
Simply put if you can clean a window you can clean a solar panel.
Mineral rich water may leave deposits of particles over time and its chemistry is not recommended for the glass of modules.
This is where cleaning solar panels may have to be done.
Of primary concern for hard water spotting on solar panels is the combined levels of magnesium and calcium.
Grime and bird poop doesn t need to cover an entire panel to have an effect.
They may look scary and technical but in fact the technology is securely sealed inside the solar panel.
Otherwise you can use distilled or de ionized water.
A maximum difference of 20 degrees is acceptable.
Don t use abrasive brushes pads or powders.
But first let s look at when and why you might need to invest in solar panel cleaning equipment or hire a professional cleaning service.
If your area only has hard tap water you can buy an inexpensive water softening hose attachment to filter out minerals.
The temperature of the water being used for cleaning should ideally be the same as the solar panel temperature at the time of cleaning.
If your panels are readily accessible you can clean them yourself.
