Don't use an expandable hose. You will lose pressure in the water fed Pole. if you have hard water this will also leave mineral deposits. Used distilled water or squeegee dry. Also always wet the panel before adding solution to avoid any scratching. While doing any of these one or two times is no big deal doing over and over will cause damage. I do this for a living and charge good money for this because all the steps take an investment and time. The use of the chemicals is definitely spot on. The process here just needs to be tweaked a little to be professional grade.
@@danielperalta3120 my charge is $1 to $3 per minute so one panel of average size can be anywhere from $5 to $15 per panel. It all depends on how dirty and how difficult the access is. But that's for my market. Depending on where you live that pppprice can vary
@@danielperalta3120 also if ya want to know what professional equipment just hit me up and I'll lay it out for you. There's a couple of routes you can take and the inventory can run from 5 to 600 to over $4000. But you would be able to do house windows solar panels and make 3 to $7000 per week. The bigger the investment the bigger the payoff.
I have 27 panels on my roof and they’re bundled up together on 2 different sides lol a 1 foot squeegee ain’t going to work, I ain’t gonna fly off my roof with that shit 🤣
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
I put outside brush onto end of pruning pole fully extended. The end of the brush had lance of the power washer. Roof is low able to get all done from step ladder.
What are the options for suitable water quality for use in the cleaning process? RO water, distilled water, regular water from utility, but treated chemically (how?) to improve the outcome. Thanks
Regular water is fine if you squeegee at the end of the process and probably even if you don't. The amount of minerals deposited from this brief encounter with a water hose will be minimal.
Unless you live in area with hard water that has lots of minerals, tap water is just fine. You'll see comments from "pros" saying you should use distilled or deionized water. That's not very realistic for DIY and just a way for them to try to convince us that we should hire someone and not do it on our own. Rainwater in most cities is not deionized or even close to distilled due to particulates in the air/atmosphere. If you have hard water at least squeegee after tap water.
Suppose the roof is too high to feasibly get a hose up onto it, is there any tank-based solution that I could use instead to rinse down the panels? Edit: answering my own question, I can pull the hose up to the roof using a dog leash and use a 0.1 HP pump to pump it up there. Should get up about 40 ft according to what they say.
For my 10kw array in socal, I was getting 6.4kW at peak noon on 7/3. After cleaning with straight water, I was getting 7.98kW on 7/4. The difference was massive over some very dusty panels, with a lot of build-up on the lower edges, because the tilt was pretty minimal. It was noticeably putting out less power. In April, I would routinely see 7.3 or more of peak power. This difference was enough to put an extra 6 amps into my EV charger during peak. (I only charge with excess solar, anywhere from 10A to as high as 25A, to minimize cost of power company's "transmission fee")
No need to shut off power. All wiring should be in conduit (by code) and virtually water tight. With that said, I wouldn't suggest attempting to directly clean the conduit or the back side of the panels for that matter.
Part of that depends on desired efficiency and/or if you'd like the panel to retain efficiency longer. Over a span this long it is important to note natural loss of efficiency, as within 10 years you may lose a notable percentage of overall current output due to panel breakdown; in my opinion if it is cleaned often it will last less time but put out a higher peak power as a trade off. Clean them as needed, and I'd say Not cleaning them will make them last longer in terms of efficiency? Am I wrong?
I prefer morning as the panels aren't as hot. If they are hot, you have to move quickly to rinse off the soap otherwise it will dry some and create a little more work for you.
@@ToolboxDIY also if the panels are really hot, say in a 100° California summer, the panels are gonna be even hotter. When the cold water touches the hot panel, the shock could crack the glass. In the morning, the panel temperatures are as low as possible.
Go to home Depot and get a pump sprayer. Make sure you dilute to package specs. I do this for a living and would suggest you look at my comment that I just left on this video. His process is so close to being perfect but you do need to do a couple of things different to ensure you don't do any damage and it is spot on no pun intended. Don't use an expandable hose don't use house water if you use house water squeegee it off with a very soft squeegee. Preferably professional grade you will not find that in a store. Water pit pole is going to cost you more than $200. At least any halfway decent one. The chemical he said to use is the one to use. Rinsing rinsing with distilled water is by far the best
Hello Chris. I’ve been looking into cleaning solar panels as a side hustle and was wondering if Dawn dish soap would be a safe option for cleaning solar panels? Thanks in advance!
Diamond Back is spot on. Don't risk Dawn for residue reasons. Also, we never know exactly what kind of rubber seals are used on panels. We don't want to use a "harsh" soap and risk damaging the seals and thus damaging the panels. The soap is cheap so go with the dedicated solar panel cleaner.
@@chico711 best to use a pure water system or build your own tank to fill with distilled water. Treated city water won't be that bad but if using a personal well like in rural areas then yeah mineral buildup can be god awful. Requiring an acid treatment to remove it. Very pricey. I do this professionally. I know I've fixed these problems.
This should be a how not to clean your solar panels. You have to rinse off everything you can before you try to scrub them. His choice of brush is also a no go, for the same reason you don't use a brush to scrub your car. Not prerinsing the panels means any sand is now an abrasive. Little scratches will be detrimental to your efficiency. If you have to scrub use one of the micro fiber heads with the soft fingers all over it. Use it lightly to avoid scratches. Rinse it thoroughly between each panel. Also don't use a squeegee. Again it causes scratches. Don't use a pressure washer either. Spray them off, gently loosen any dirt, then spray it off for a final rinse. They will dry quickly without squeegeeing them. Some people say not to wash them when they are hot from the sun because the water could shatter them. I understand the theory but in reality I don't see it. My panels cook in the sun and then get rained on sometimes several times a day and have never shattered.
I'm looking to install panels on my roof but the issue is that it's pretty tall. The top is 29 feet high and it's a sloped roof at about 35degrees to the front of the house. How in the world would I get up there to clean up? Isn't there a solution to clean from a lower height?
Squeegee isnt 24 ft? So u can do the first part with the thing thats 24ft and then still gotta go through circus act to use squeegee? Or do u have any better ideas to access a larger area without moving around on top of the solar panels? Some roofs are filled with solar panels..
As I mentioned, the squeegee is optional. If you want to use the squeegee and need a long reach, you can attach it to a lightweight telescopic pole such as this one: amzn.to/3DsX2NW.
I am not for two reasons...1 we don't have hard water 2 since I use a squeegee, the water is mostly removed from the panels. I take it for granted that we don't have hard water. In hindsight, I should have discussed this. If you aren't going to squeegee, a filter is a good idea.
I would not use high pressure. You run the risk of breaking the seals around the panel. Once you break those seals, condensation can occur and that will decrease efficiency.
Doing this on a sloped with with composition shingle is a ticket to the hospital. Easy to slip off the roof. Also, walking on any roof is not great for longevity. It is easy to create a leak. I sold roofing for 15 years. The best way to maintain roof integrity is to stay off of it.
I searched the net to look for the procedures to clean Solar panels, IMO this video misses the mark I was wanting to find out, which is what are the Electrical safety do you need to isolate anything before cleaning the panels/
Do you disconnect the array at the inverter before doing this? Or an unnecessary step? I was thinking about doing it at days end when the sun has dropped to non productive angle.
No need to disconnect the array, IMO. It's designed to withstand the elements and if it's installed properly (which is very likely), then everything should be grounded properly. One word of caution on late day cleaning, the glass maybe very hot after a day in the sun and if you have relatively cold tap water, you run the risk of cracking your glass. I think it is highly unlikely that this would occur but you want to hold your hand over the glass and under the water to see if you think the temperature difference is too great. Also, pre-rinse those panels well to cool them down so your soap solution doesn't dry before you rinse it off. Good luck!
Not my roof. French terracotta tiles on sloped roof 12 metres above ground. No access except by ladder and no attachement points for a sling. I’d need a good cherry picker at least.
The bristles on these brushes are quite soft. No where near hard enough to scratch the glass. Most solar panels that I know of use tempered glass which is more scratch resistant. If you stick to any plastic or nylon bristle brush and only use a rubber squeegee, I think there's zero chance of scratching a panel.
@@ToolboxDIY Well, I waited a week and we had 2 inches of rain yesterday - so I'm figuring that waiting a week is the first step in any solar panel cleaning process.
Great question/comment!! I should have been specific about the brush materials used. The brush is not "abrasive" per se. To our skin, yeah it feels abrasive, but it is very soft compared to the glass on a PV panel. We definitely want to avoid abrasive chemicals (rubbing compound, Comet, magic erasers, etc.) and abrasive cleaning brushes such as a metal wire brush or even brushes with an abrasive nylon. The brush used in this video is a "soft bristle" brush which won't scratch glass.
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Don't use an expandable hose. You will lose pressure in the water fed Pole. if you have hard water this will also leave mineral deposits. Used distilled water or squeegee dry. Also always wet the panel before adding solution to avoid any scratching. While doing any of these one or two times is no big deal doing over and over will cause damage. I do this for a living and charge good money for this because all the steps take an investment and time. The use of the chemicals is definitely spot on. The process here just needs to be tweaked a little to be professional grade.
Question? How do you charge the customer?
@@danielperalta3120 my charge is $1 to $3 per minute so one panel of average size can be anywhere from $5 to $15 per panel. It all depends on how dirty and how difficult the access is. But that's for my market. Depending on where you live that pppprice can vary
@@danielperalta3120 also if ya want to know what professional equipment just hit me up and I'll lay it out for you. There's a couple of routes you can take and the inventory can run from 5 to 600 to over $4000. But you would be able to do house windows solar panels and make 3 to $7000 per week. The bigger the investment the bigger the payoff.
@Diamond Back where can i get in contact with you about this? I would love some info!
@@finleyboeree9240 most everything I can pay out here then do RUclips searches or find a window cleaners forum. What do you need to know
So you have a 24 ft washing pole and a 1 ft squeegee??? How does that work?
I have 27 panels on my roof and they’re bundled up together on 2 different sides lol a 1 foot squeegee ain’t going to work, I ain’t gonna fly off my roof with that shit 🤣
😂
Use both together
The squeegee is optional
This panel can put out close to 100 watts ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.
you have just solved my issue with my RV solar panels - thanks and liking your other videos too
I put outside brush onto end of pruning pole fully extended. The end of the brush had lance of the power washer. Roof is low able to get all done from step ladder.
where can i purchase the brush? Amazon has so many options and not know which will work best
What are the options for suitable water quality for use in the cleaning process? RO water, distilled water, regular water from utility, but treated chemically (how?) to improve the outcome. Thanks
Use distilled water or rain water
Regular water is fine if you squeegee at the end of the process and probably even if you don't. The amount of minerals deposited from this brief encounter with a water hose will be minimal.
thanks this helped alot chris!
This helped a lot. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Chris, any solution you'd recommend to apply after cleaning and drying to both protect from water marks and extra dust build up?
Make sure to get all water off with a good squeegee, that’s what I’ve been reading online
@@gaming2thecore thanks
Luis is correct. I'd like to add that it's best not to add a coating like rain-x or anything. These can do more harm than good.
DO NOT USE ANY DETERGENT OR CHEMICAL AND DO NOT USE A SQUEEGEE. Use pure water only from a RO/DI system and they will dry spot free by themselves.
@@ToolboxDIY silly question to you but why can they cause more harm??
Could you please comment on the need to use deionized vs regular tap water.
Unless you live in area with hard water that has lots of minerals, tap water is just fine. You'll see comments from "pros" saying you should use distilled or deionized water. That's not very realistic for DIY and just a way for them to try to convince us that we should hire someone and not do it on our own. Rainwater in most cities is not deionized or even close to distilled due to particulates in the air/atmosphere. If you have hard water at least squeegee after tap water.
Hi would you happen to have a link to the pole brush you used
amzn.to/2TQbXxP
There are affiliate links in the description to everything I used in the video.
Wow! So you use a brush & water to clean your pannels!
Incredible 😂😂😂
Yes there is many you tubers who say use pure water don’t use soap etc brush and water will do the job
I clean mine with automotive windshield cleaner (rain ex) they sparkle, shed water and the very rare snow we get in Texas
www.rainx.com/faq/rainx-original-glass-treatment-safe-use-solar-panels/
I wish they gave more details on why they don't recommend it.
Why can't you use dish washing liquid & car wash brush ?
Suppose the roof is too high to feasibly get a hose up onto it, is there any tank-based solution that I could use instead to rinse down the panels?
Edit: answering my own question, I can pull the hose up to the roof using a dog leash and use a 0.1 HP pump to pump it up there. Should get up about 40 ft according to what they say.
I need a long solar panel cleaning wand. My solar panels are on top of the roof of a 2 story home.
Would like to see the change in amount of electricity produced before and after cleaning
For my 10kw array in socal, I was getting 6.4kW at peak noon on 7/3. After cleaning with straight water, I was getting 7.98kW on 7/4. The difference was massive over some very dusty panels, with a lot of build-up on the lower edges, because the tilt was pretty minimal. It was noticeably putting out less power. In April, I would routinely see 7.3 or more of peak power. This difference was enough to put an extra 6 amps into my EV charger during peak. (I only charge with excess solar, anywhere from 10A to as high as 25A, to minimize cost of power company's "transmission fee")
Wear socks on a wet roof. You get much better grip. Also wear a safety harness.😊
Thank you for the demonstration it was really helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
What about safety concerns? Do you have to shut off your power, disconnect battery backups or any other precautions?
No need to shut off power. All wiring should be in conduit (by code) and virtually water tight. With that said, I wouldn't suggest attempting to directly clean the conduit or the back side of the panels for that matter.
would or wouldnt @@ToolboxDIY
@@sushilpatel7013 Wouldn't! Nice catch, Sushil. Thanks.
Great job!
Good video and very informative. The only question, I have, is how often should you clean solar panels? Thanks again for creating this turtorial.
In my experience, no more than once a year is needed. I think most folks could get by with doing it once every 2 years.
Part of that depends on desired efficiency and/or if you'd like the panel to retain efficiency longer. Over a span this long it is important to note natural loss of efficiency, as within 10 years you may lose a notable percentage of overall current output due to panel breakdown; in my opinion if it is cleaned often it will last less time but put out a higher peak power as a trade off. Clean them as needed, and I'd say Not cleaning them will make them last longer in terms of efficiency? Am I wrong?
Do you need to turn the device off?
@@yuewang9035no
What time will be best morning noon or evening for cleaning?
I prefer morning as the panels aren't as hot. If they are hot, you have to move quickly to rinse off the soap otherwise it will dry some and create a little more work for you.
@@ToolboxDIY also if the panels are really hot, say in a 100° California summer, the panels are gonna be even hotter. When the cold water touches the hot panel, the shock could crack the glass. In the morning, the panel temperatures are as low as possible.
How do you spray the cleaner on the panels from on the ground?
Go to home Depot and get a pump sprayer. Make sure you dilute to package specs. I do this for a living and would suggest you look at my comment that I just left on this video. His process is so close to being perfect but you do need to do a couple of things different to ensure you don't do any damage and it is spot on no pun intended. Don't use an expandable hose don't use house water if you use house water squeegee it off with a very soft squeegee. Preferably professional grade you will not find that in a store. Water pit pole is going to cost you more than $200. At least any halfway decent one. The chemical he said to use is the one to use. Rinsing rinsing with distilled water is by far the best
Does that solar glass cleaner void their warranty on their solar panel??
Good video.
Hello Chris. I’ve been looking into cleaning solar panels as a side hustle and was wondering if Dawn dish soap would be a safe option for cleaning solar panels? Thanks in advance!
No. Use a solar panel cleaner. Dawn dish soap leaves a residue and will attract dirt after the cleaning.
@@diamondback2085 Had no idea. Much appreciated!
Diamond Back is spot on. Don't risk Dawn for residue reasons. Also, we never know exactly what kind of rubber seals are used on panels. We don't want to use a "harsh" soap and risk damaging the seals and thus damaging the panels. The soap is cheap so go with the dedicated solar panel cleaner.
Doesn’t normal water leaves residues also shouldn’t we use deionized water or something like that
@@chico711 best to use a pure water system or build your own tank to fill with distilled water. Treated city water won't be that bad but if using a personal well like in rural areas then yeah mineral buildup can be god awful. Requiring an acid treatment to remove it. Very pricey. I do this professionally. I know I've fixed these problems.
This should be a how not to clean your solar panels. You have to rinse off everything you can before you try to scrub them. His choice of brush is also a no go, for the same reason you don't use a brush to scrub your car. Not prerinsing the panels means any sand is now an abrasive. Little scratches will be detrimental to your efficiency. If you have to scrub use one of the micro fiber heads with the soft fingers all over it. Use it lightly to avoid scratches. Rinse it thoroughly between each panel. Also don't use a squeegee. Again it causes scratches. Don't use a pressure washer either. Spray them off, gently loosen any dirt, then spray it off for a final rinse. They will dry quickly without squeegeeing them.
Some people say not to wash them when they are hot from the sun because the water could shatter them. I understand the theory but in reality I don't see it. My panels cook in the sun and then get rained on sometimes several times a day and have never shattered.
I'm looking to install panels on my roof but the issue is that it's pretty tall. The top is 29 feet high and it's a sloped roof at about 35degrees to the front of the house. How in the world would I get up there to clean up? Isn't there a solution to clean from a lower height?
You would hire a cherry picker (hydraulic powered elevated working platform).
Unless you live out west you should rarely have to clean the panels.
What do you do when the panels are installed on a roof with tiles? I got 46 panels on 1st and 2nd floor. Worried about breaking tiles
You hire a professional who uses the correct and proper equipment. You should never use chemicals. Pure water only.
Does the power need to be turned off?
😂😂😂
Did you turn off the solar panels?
Power shut down ?? No / yes??
Squeegee isnt 24 ft? So u can do the first part with the thing thats 24ft and then still gotta go through circus act to use squeegee? Or do u have any better ideas to access a larger area without moving around on top of the solar panels? Some roofs are filled with solar panels..
As I mentioned, the squeegee is optional. If you want to use the squeegee and need a long reach, you can attach it to a lightweight telescopic pole such as this one: amzn.to/3DsX2NW.
Chris, are you using soft water or some kind of inline water filter in order to avoid water spots?
I am not for two reasons...1 we don't have hard water 2 since I use a squeegee, the water is mostly removed from the panels. I take it for granted that we don't have hard water. In hindsight, I should have discussed this. If you aren't going to squeegee, a filter is a good idea.
@@ToolboxDIY no hard water. Lucky!
Can we use high pressure washer to clean solar panels?
I would not use high pressure. You run the risk of breaking the seals around the panel. Once you break those seals, condensation can occur and that will decrease efficiency.
NO! Don’t get tempted to do that. Absolutely not an option you want to try.
Won't the brush bristles scratch the solar panel?
Those bristles are quite soft so they don't scratch even the softest glass.
How mucb it improves
Doing this on a sloped with with composition shingle is a ticket to the hospital. Easy to slip off the roof. Also, walking on any roof is not great for longevity. It is easy to create a leak. I sold roofing for 15 years. The best way to maintain roof integrity is to stay off of it.
Absolutely. Access equipment is a better idea.
what about turning off the solar panel system? I read I should do this first. Agree?
I searched the net to look for the procedures to clean Solar panels, IMO this video misses the mark I was wanting to find out, which is what are the Electrical safety do you need to isolate anything before cleaning the panels/
I use Windex solar panel cleaner,
WHAT about the panels most people have on their roof ? Are we expected as home owners to crawl up on the roof and wash these things by hand ?
Most professional window cleaners offer solar panel cleaning if you'd prefer not to do it yourself.
Please bro can a professional general cleaner do the work of solar panels cleaning job
Where does water supply come from?
I have an outdoor spigot not too far from the panels. I need at least a 75ft hose to reach but I use a 100ft so I have plenty of extra.
Can you get electrocuted from this? That is why I never tried this.
@@dcaz342 No - solar panels have to resist rain & snow for 20 years without shorting out - so they're not going to electrocute you.
@@dcaz342 Yes. Being on top of the roof you have a chance of being electrocuted by lightning. Never go outside.
Do you disconnect the array at the inverter before doing this? Or an unnecessary step? I was thinking about doing it at days end when the sun has dropped to non productive angle.
No need to disconnect the array, IMO. It's designed to withstand the elements and if it's installed properly (which is very likely), then everything should be grounded properly.
One word of caution on late day cleaning, the glass maybe very hot after a day in the sun and if you have relatively cold tap water, you run the risk of cracking your glass. I think it is highly unlikely that this would occur but you want to hold your hand over the glass and under the water to see if you think the temperature difference is too great. Also, pre-rinse those panels well to cool them down so your soap solution doesn't dry before you rinse it off. Good luck!
Not my roof. French terracotta tiles on sloped roof 12 metres above ground. No access except by ladder and no attachement points for a sling. I’d need a good cherry picker at least.
I need to discuss this thing with share any way how I can contact you.
I don't think you should be touching the panels without soap as a lubricant. Won't that scratch?
The bristles on these brushes are quite soft. No where near hard enough to scratch the glass. Most solar panels that I know of use tempered glass which is more scratch resistant. If you stick to any plastic or nylon bristle brush and only use a rubber squeegee, I think there's zero chance of scratching a panel.
@@ToolboxDIY thank you.
there should be an alogorithm for arher/deco/... WiFi routers to sell new big TV.sss and aircraft windows and bus and car andband and.. $$$$$$$$#
clean by automation scanning
Bro you have 2 panels and we have 20. My Country is famous for dust particles in air and pollution
Do not clean your solar while it exposed to direct daylight
Because cold water may crack glass when in extreme temperature
I have a flat roof and built my own elevator to get up there. So no excuse for not washing my solar panels.
I can think of one excuse..."Don't feel like it!" :D
@@ToolboxDIY Well, I waited a week and we had 2 inches of rain yesterday - so I'm figuring that waiting a week is the first step in any solar panel cleaning process.
those are not dirty
The brush won’t mess up the photocells , I was told not to use any abrasive tools???? I confused……
Great question/comment!! I should have been specific about the brush materials used. The brush is not "abrasive" per se. To our skin, yeah it feels abrasive, but it is very soft compared to the glass on a PV panel. We definitely want to avoid abrasive chemicals (rubbing compound, Comet, magic erasers, etc.) and abrasive cleaning brushes such as a metal wire brush or even brushes with an abrasive nylon. The brush used in this video is a "soft bristle" brush which won't scratch glass.
Do you have to turn off the solar panels?