Solar Panels and cleaning

[sueb]

Asking all you great people for a friend of mine.

Please, when is the best time (autumn,summer, winter or pring) to clean your solar panels. For generations of electricity?
How often should you get them done?
Which company would you recomend?

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Uncle D]

I have PV panels and just like the hot water panels I never have cleaned them or had them cleaned. The rain that we have just had will have done that job for me.
If I was going to have them cleaned it would be once or twice during the summer months when they have dust on them, but not in winter

[trevnhil]

I would agree with Uncle D. I let the (recent) rainwater clean mine. Usually every 2 months when I get an electricity bill I have quite a lot of units in Credit. This seems to grow and grow as the months go on.
So, as long as I am in credit, I cannot see why I need to clean the panels to get even more credit units on my bill

[trevnhil]

Repeat comment that I couldn't delete

[mark4007]

i agree with trev and uncle D

In normal use it makes no sense to pay someone to clean them. The cost is likely to exceed the benefit

[WHL]

I have a flat roof, i use a hose and mop and bucket to clean the baked on dust off them, how is the sun going to get thru layers of dust?

[trevnhil]

It maybe doesn't fully get through the layers of dust.. But certainly it mainly gets through as shown by my electric reading and the bill
If (even with dust) I am making more electricity than I use, I don't see the point in being over bothered about cleaning the panels.
Bear in mind the original question which was which company to use, so there was no DIY option
"How often should you get them done?
Which company would you recomend?"

[WHL]

It maybe doesn't fully get through the layers of dust.. But certainly it mainly gets through as shown by my electric reading and the bill
If (even with dust) I am making more electricity than I use, I don't see the point in being over bothered about cleaning the panels.
Bear in mind the original question which was which company to use, so there was no DIY option
"How often should you get them done?
Which company would you recomend?"

I was just stating what i do, and if the panels can be done by forum members themselves, why pay a bunch of cash for someone to aim a hose at them.
Obviously many members are elderly and couldn't get up on the roof, maybe a friendly neighbour might help out

[jeba]

It maybe doesn't fully get through the layers of dust.. But certainly it mainly gets through as shown by my electric reading and the bill
If (even with dust) I am making more electricity than I use, I don't see the point in being over bothered about cleaning the panels.
Bear in mind the original question which was which company to use, so there was no DIY option
"How often should you get them done?
Which company would you recomend?"

I was just stating what i do, and if the panels can be done by forum members themselves, why pay a bunch of cash for someone to aim a hose at them.
Obviously many members are elderly and couldn't get up on the roof, maybe a friendly neighbour might help out

Would aiming a hose at them be allowed, given the current water shortage?

[Uncle D]

[WHL]

It maybe doesn't fully get through the layers of dust.. But certainly it mainly gets through as shown by my electric reading and the bill
If (even with dust) I am making more electricity than I use, I don't see the point in being over bothered about cleaning the panels.
Bear in mind the original question which was which company to use, so there was no DIY option
"How often should you get them done?
Which company would you recomend?"

I was just stating what i do, and if the panels can be done by forum members themselves, why pay a bunch of cash for someone to aim a hose at them.
Obviously many members are elderly and couldn't get up on the roof, maybe a friendly neighbour might help out

Would aiming a hose at them be allowed, given the current water shortage?

Only yesterday i was coming out of a clinic, when i saw a lot of water running down the road,
there stood an asian maid of a house , washing down the house veranda,
i walked over and said , please stop that , we have no water, shrug of the shoulders ,
i just hope someone grassed the householder up,
So in reply to your question jaba, some people don't care about water shortages.

[Paul]

I Spray my panels down once a week when there is dust in the air this keeps them clean.

[Polemian]

Based on all the production monthly data for 10 years - cleaned them regularly the first couple of years, haven’t bothered since, I’d say it’s a complete waste of time, and money if you’re considering paying someone. Mother Nature does a decent job for free in spring and autumn as witnessed by the weather last week.

Ian