Peak summer is upon us, and that means peak heat, peak air conditioning energy, and if you have photovoltaic panels on your facility’s roof, peak energy producing, as well. But if dust or bird droppings or other dirt or contaminants are blocking the sun’s rays and preventing your solar panels from operating at peak efficiency, now’s the time to do a good deep clean. According to a study at MIT, dirty solar panels can cut their efficiency by up to 30 percent.
Rain can often do an adequate job of cleaning solar panels, but rain can also turn built-up dust into sludgy mud, creating a bigger problem. Also, if it hasn’t rained for a while or if you want to give your solar panels a deeper clean, some manual maintenance may be required.
If your maintenance team can safely walk the roof between panels, use a squeegee or soft sponge and a bucket of water with soap. It helps if there is a water source accessible on the roof to refill and change out your cleaning water. Let the panels air dry after washing them. There’s no need to dry them with a cloth. You also shouldn’t need to de-electrify the panels during cleaning, just be careful not to touch any of the connections on the underside of the panels.
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
