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.
How to clean solar panels from snow.
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Waiting for the snow to melt on its own is the simplest solution for those who own solar panels that are pitched at an angle of at least 35 degrees.
When cleaning solar panels it is essential to use the right cleaning equipment.
If you are considering a new solar power system you might want to have a look into self cleaning solar cells.
They found that cleaning the solar was the number one way to maximize the energy they produce cleaning solar panels that had been in operation for 15 months doubled their output of electricity.
Installing your solar panels on a south facing roof not only ensures you ll see the best energy production as the panels face directly towards the sun but snow will also melt faster.
The glass is strong but using abrasive materials can scratch the surface of the glass reducing its performance or even damaging the module.
Google did a study on the need to clean solar panels.
Even when solar panels are completely covered by snow they can still generate electricity.
Some solar arrays can be installed at steeper angles than others.
If snow persists on your panels you can also invest in tools like a solar panel snow rake which makes it easy to safely remove snow covering on solar panels.
The solar panels installed on your home are american made and come with a 30 year warranty with many panels expected to last well beyond that.
Some of these have an anti snow feature which can detect snow cover and temporarily increase the temperature of the system in order to melt it.
Even though the panels will be covered with snow the dark black and blue will absorb the heat from the sunlight and encourage the snow to melt faster than if your panels were installed on an east or west.
The same study also found that rain is not a satisfying way of cleaning solar panels.
In this case snow will melt and run off on its own the steeper it is the faster snow will essentially glide off.
Heavy snow can limit the amount of energy produced by solar panels but light is still able to move through the snow and forward scattering brings more light to the solar cells than one might expect.