Solar Panel Cleaning
At Marble City we clean solar panels using high-reach cleaning equipment. Whether it’s a home or commercial property we guarantee a clean, bright result every time. Contact us today and let us know what your cleaning requirements are. We’ll do the rest!
Why Solar Panel Cleaning is Important
Solar panels need to be kept clean in order to prevent dirt and grime from building up on the surface of the panels and reducing their efficiency – a factor which plays in part in the answer to how long do solar panels last.
If you don’t regularly clean your solar panels dust can accumulate and even just one dusty cell can affect the performance of the entire panel. Plus, given the upfront cost of solar panels, keeping this renewable technology in good shape with careful maintenance should be at the forefront of a homeowner’s mind. This is especially true if you benefit from solar panel grants whereby the efficiency of your solar array could impact the amount the grid will pay you for surplus solar energy.
Solar Panel Cleaning
With our high-reach cleaning equipment we are able to easily reach those solar panels on your roof. Cleaning your solar panels regularly makes them more effective in the long run.
Our Guarantee
For your peace of mind, our business is fully insured, giving you complete protection and confidence in every job we carry out. Whether we’re working on windows, roofs, gutters, driveways, or commercial properties, all work is covered to the highest industry standards. Safety and professionalism are at the core of our service, and being fully insured ensures that your home or business is always in safe, reliable hands.
Our Location
We are based in Kilkenny City.
With customers in many counties we are always happy to travel to you.
Call Stephen on
085 129 3515
Give us a call today and let us know how we can be of service.
Email Us
Send us an email
and we will be in touch.
Benefits of Solar Panel Cleaning
We get most of our energy output from our solar panels during spring and summer as the weather improves and the ideal time to clean solar panels tends to be in early to mid-spring.
Summer is still possible to clean solar panels but is less than ideal. This is because using a hose pipe to spray cold water on the panels in hot weather may potentially damage them, so on these occasions it is best to do this in the early morning or in the evening.
This happens when the glass is hot and so pouring cold water on it causes it to experience a sudden extreme temperature change (thermal stress), rendering it brittle. Over time, with repeated treatment in this manner, the glass could potentially crack. Even if this does not happen, cleaning the panels on a hot day will also leave smudges on the glass because the sun will evaporate the water too quickly.
How often you clean your solar panels may depend on the type of panels you have installed and the advice of the company that installed them initially and/or the manufacturer.
Typically you’ll need to clean your panels every six months, or at least one a year. (You may need to clean them more frequently if they are exposed to dirt and grime, for instance, in an urban area or in close proximity to trees.)
That said, most solar pv panels in the UK will not need any heavy-duty cleaning because regular rain will wash most dirt and grime off the surface, dispelling one of the myths about solar being its difficulty to clean.
Hiring a professional can be much safer if you feel someone needs to get up on the roof to clean them and you do not have the right equipment or are not confident working at height. Lichen growth and bird droppings are just some of ways the natural world can negatively effect solar panels.
Lichen Growth
Lichen growth on solar panels is driven by microscopic algae living alongside it in a symbiotic relationship. Lichens are not plants and they produce their own food via photosynthesis, eliminating the need for water. This means they can grow in locations where other plants would not survive — solar panels being one such location. The only way to remove lichen from solar panels is to remove the algae that stimulates its growth.
Bird Droppings
Birds often see solar panel arrays as an attractive place to perch and nest and droppings can also be a problem. To deter birds, the solar panels should be kept free of debris such as twigs and other detritus. A thin strand of chicken wire attached to the edge of the panels preventing any access to the underside of the panels is also a good idea.
To clean droppings off the surface, regular cleaning with a mild detergent should be sufficient, a soft brush on a pole is even better to help scrub the droppings off, as they tend to be more resilient than other dirt and grime.