Solar Panel Cleaning

Your Reliable Solution for Solar Panel Cleaning Services for Your Home or Business

Solar Panel Cleaning is a young and growing industry. It spans residential, commercial and utility scale segments. Solar panels are made of glass and rest at a horizontal angle, accumulating pollen, dirt, airborne spores and bird droppings. The sun bakes the debris onto the surface and if not routinely cleaned, creates difficult removal and reduced energy capture. Our solar panel cleaning procedure follows the International Solar Cleaning Academy’s (ISCA) safety and procedure guidelines. Do not let anyone clean your panels without proper personal protective equipment, electrocution is at risk!

What are the challenges in solar panel cleaning?

The IWCA President Sheila Smeltzer communicated that the drivers for solar panel cleaning are different than for window cleaning. While window cleaning is primarily done for aesthetic reasons, solar panel cleaning is done for economic reasons.

One of the biggest challenges we have as an institution is to bring transparency to how much dirty panels are costing Americans and the world. The IWCA has partnered with Soilar Technologies, a NextGen PV Soiling Mitigation company that is dedicated to understanding the financial impact of photovoltaic (PV) soiling and solving PV soiling challenges.

According to IEA-PVPS Task 13, PV soiling is estimated to cost 4 – 5% of energy production or the equivalent of and €4 billion to €7 billion this year. Other PV Soiling cost estimates state 20 billion as an annual loss. “While it is nice to have estimates, the IWCA seeks to have actuals to help give this segment a good foundation for success.”

Another very important challenge we have to face in this industry is Safety. Cleaning solar panels is a very dangerous job and the IWCA is well-established in safety for the window cleaning industry. Our organization is very effective in mitigating risks with our highly qualified set of certified safety instructors.

As the world races to net zero, it is clear that solar energy is not limited to a standard solar panel and that photovoltaic energy can be produced from multiple surfaces. As these surfaces get dirty or more accurately “Soiled”, they underperform. The option not to clean does not exist. Brandi Harper, who serves on the IWCA Board of Directors, sums it up this way: “Since the invention of glass, window cleaners have dutifully gone about their work of cleaning glass surfaces for reasons of safety, security, health, and visual appeal. Now the stakes are raised with the necessity of solar panel cleaning, a service critical to protecting and preserving our energy infrastructure.”