How Much Does Solar Panel Cleaning Cost?

The switch from traditional power supplies to solar panels yields numerous advantages. As a home/business owner, you realise that the utility bills go lower, enabling you to increase savings.

However, with all these benefits comes the responsibility of solar panel cleaning and maintenance to ensure its optimal performance. All the dust, debris and coastal salt accumulated on the surface requires professional attention, which will incur expenditures. If you are also wondering about the costs of cleaning solar panels on the roof, you are at the right place.

Through this comprehensive blog, we have weighed all the factors pivotal to determining solar panel cleaning prices. It will provide you with valuable insights before you avail of specialised services.

Understanding the Causes of Solar Panel Efficiency Loss

Prior to finding the costs of solar panel cleaning, let’s understand the key deposits that can hamper its performance.

Dirt: Whether or not the solar panel has a 10-degree tilt, dust accumulation through windswept soil happens. For shorter tilts, dust will spread across the panel, while for higher ones, it will be around the aluminium frame. These can cause damage, such as hotspots, and decrease the panel’s efficiency.

Bird Droppings: Over time, bird droppings can cover the solar panel, reducing its output. Left unattended for a long time, it can cause etching and require specialised cleaning.

Leaves and Pollen: If your home or business is in a windy place, leaves, pollen, and other debris can accumulate on the panel. These can cause scratches and attract bugs that scratch and damage the seals. Moreover, decaying leaves attract mildew and mould.

Beach Salts: For places with proximity to coastal areas, it’s highly possible that along with the dust, there are also salt deposits on the panel. These can cause significant damages ranging from frame erosion, corrosion acceleration and overall reduction in sunlight absorbency.

Fungi: Similar to how your roofing sheets or tiles grow layers of mould and fungi, your solar panels can also accumulate these. Long-term neglect can shade solar panels, decreasing output and gradually damaging them.

Particulate Exhaust: Proximity to industrial areas can also adversely affect your solar panels. The carbon emissions can stick to the panels, reducing their potential.

Factors Determining Solar Panel Cleaning Costs

Firstly, one must understand that there is no fixed answer to the question, “How much does it cost to clean the solar panels? Numerous elements factor into ordaining solar panel cleaning costs.

Number of Solar Panels

On average, 15-20 solar panels are apt for a typical Australian home or a small commercial building. However, more often, businesses will require the same or more numbers depending on the following:

• Electricity requirement
• Unshaded space
• Budgetary concerns
• Overall goals (Monetary savings or environmental benefits)

Whether you install 20, 40, or more panels will also influence your cleaning solar panel costs. For instance, a 20-panel setup requires fewer labour hours, less time, and minimal machinery, thereby reducing the overall cost. Conversely, a 40-panel or more installation will demand higher resources, increasing the cleaning costs accordingly. Cleaning companies charge $*** to $*** per panel while factoring in other elements.

Type of Solar Panel

The type of solar panel installed on your building will also affect the cleaning costs. Some solar panels have protective coatings or specific designs that necessitate specialised cleaning techniques to maintain their integrity.

For instance, monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels might require different care compared to thin-film panels, which are more delicate and prone to damage if not handled correctly. Some newer panel types come with self-cleaning surfaces, reducing the frequency but not eliminating the need for occasional professional cleaning. The panel type dictates the approach, tools, and expertise required, influencing the pricing structure.

Type of Solar Panel Installations

Depending on the type of installation, the solar panel cleaning prices also fluctuate. There are primarily four mounting configurations that determine the residential and commercial solar panel cleaning costs. These are:

Flat Roof Solar Panels: This type of panel arrangement mounts at a slight angle to ensure water drainage and improve sun exposure. However, they are less steep than pitched roofs, so, they are more prone to dirt, dust, and debris accumulation. Thus, frequent and specialised cleaning is required to maintain performance. However, due to their easier accessibility, the solar panel cleaning costs are lower than the ones on the roofs.

Ground-Mounted Solar Panel: As the name suggests, these are set up on the ground rather than rooftops, often in open areas with plenty of sunlight. These are common for large commercial operations or properties with extensive land. The ease of accessibility makes upkeep easier and reduces the costs of cleaning these solar panels. Nevertheless, they are more exposed to ground-level debris, especially in areas prone to heavy winds and storms. Therefore, these require frequent cleaning using specialised methods such as soft-wash or robotic cleaning systems, which can affect the final costs.

Pitched Roof Solar Panel: If you have a pitched solar panel installed at 30-45 degrees facing true north for your small commercial building, its cleaning requirements are diverse. Due to the significant tilt, these benefit from rainwater runoff. Therefore, cleaning frequency decreases, saving on costs. However, the steep angles make manual cleaning more challenging, often requiring safety equipment such as harnesses or scaffolding.

Tilt Solar Panel Installations: Tilt installations allow solar panels to be adjusted to different angles, usually to maximise sunlight exposure throughout the year. This setup is typically found on flat roofs or ground-mounted systems. Compared to fixed flat roof panels, these are easier to clean due to the ability to adjust angles. It prevents significant debris accumulation and reduces the frequency of cleaning required. Yet, tilt panels aren’t immune to bird droppings, salt deposits, and other stubborn stains that can impact efficiency.

Building Location

The region where your building stands also plays a pivotal part in determining solar panel cleaning costs. If it’s an urban locale with continuous emissions of vehicles and their pollutants, the debris build-up will be significant. Similarly, proximity to industrial areas will also contribute to the accumulation of harmful residues. These require commercial-grade equipment that can elevate the costs of cleaning solar panels. Meanwhile, the coastal buildings with salt deposits require an additional step of soft scrubbing for optimal cleaning.

On the contrary, homes or businesses in rural lands or in agricultural areas are more prone to leaves, pollen and other organic deposits, increasing the cleaning frequency and, thereby, costs. Apart from the geographical setting, ease of transportation and procuring cleaning materials can also impact solar panel cleaning prices.

Roof Accessibility

Another critical element that actuates the final cost of cleaning solar panels on the roof is the ease or difficulty of reaching them. For most residential buildings, rooftop solar panels are easily accessible due to the simplicity of the layout. It makes these easier to navigate and consumes less time for the desired outcome. Therefore, this will bring down solar panel cleaning costs. However, if your building has a slope or other complex roof, the cleaning task will become more labour-intensive.

The use of ladders, safety harnesses, scissor lifts, and scaffolding to clean difficult-to-navigate panels can elevate the overall solar panel cleaning costs. Similarly, buildings with limited or difficult access, such as those in congested urban areas or with restricted entry points, might face additional logistical challenges, further driving up costs.

Cleaning Frequency

Ideally, it’s recommended that you clean your compact solar system, preferably ones used for residential requirements, at least once every 2-3 years. However, if you manage a large commercial entity with numerous solar panels, precisely anything above 40kW, an annual cleaning is recommended for optimal performance.

While some businesses established in harsher environments opt for biannual cleaning, you can determine the same per your needs

Cleaning Methods

The method used to clean solar panels can vary widely, influencing costs. Traditional manual cleaning involves using water, brushes, and environmentally safe cleaning agents, which can be labour-intensive and time-consuming. Automated cleaning systems are gaining popularity, particularly for large commercial installations.

These robotic systems require a significant initial investment but reduce ongoing labour costs by performing regular, precise cleanings with minimal human intervention. For more delicate panels or those in difficult-to-reach areas, specialised techniques such as dry cleaning or soft washing may be required, further affecting the overall price of the service.

Debris Accumulation

Another important consideration of the costs of cleaning solar panels is debris, including fallen leaves, bird droppings, or even industrial emissions. That is why it is recommended to remove debris regularly; otherwise, hard floor surfaces may need pressure washing or scrubbing, increasing labour and equipment costs.

Orientation to trees, construction sites, or a station with much human traffic tends to result in debris deposition on the panels, which would otherwise affect the surface of the panels and reduce their efficiency. Daily surveillance and scouring minimise the effects of debris; however, in severe cases, extra costs are involved due to rigorous cleaning.

Benefits of Regular Solar Panel Cleaning Through Professionals

While approaching specialists, you may wonder if it’s necessary to shell out a significant amount for cleaning the solar panels. However, the benefits are sure to outweigh the solar panel cleaning costs. Here are a few benefits that will compel you to reach out for professional cleaning services:

Maximised efficiency: This is important since professional cleaning will be able to remove dust, dirt, and debris so that it will not interfere with the more efficient operations of the solar panels. This ensures maximum energy output and gets the most out of your solar energy in terms of the money used on it.

Enhanced longevity: Professional cleaning is crucial to reduce the accumulation of corrosive agents, such as bird droppings, salt, and pollutants, which negatively affect the integrity of the materials when accumulated. This means that regular cleaning will help to prolong the durability of your solar panels, and in essence, you will rarely call for their repair or replacement.

Safety: Cleaning solar panels becomes dangerous, particularly when it comes to roofs or high building walls and other difficult-to-reach areas. While many people can climb onto roofs and assume that they know how to clean the panels, they may use the wrong chemicals or tools or move in the wrong way, thus causing an accident or they cause damage to your property without knowing it.

Specialised equipment: Professional cleaning services possess great equipment as well as specific cleaning agents that are environmentally friendly for use in cleaning solar panels. The specialised methods help to clean the panels effectively, notwithstanding the fact that such methods do not harm the panels like Do-It-Yourself methods may do.

Time and cost efficiency: Through expert cleaning, one can ensure maximum yield out of the solar panels. Thus, you save a lot more on electricity bills to compensate for the solar panel cleaning costs.

Warranty and compliance: Most warranties of both solar panels and their installation come with compulsory maintenance procedures. Professional cleaning assists companies in meeting warranties because if there are problems, they are identified early. Hence, repairing them would be rather expensive.

To Sum Up

Whether you have solar panel installations at home or in your business, it’s important to approach professional solar panel cleaning. It renders long-term benefits, keeping the damage and repair costs low and output high. Also, you can focus more on other aspects of your life when the experts take care of the panels. So, spend time with your family, play with your kids or crack that crucial business deal without worrying about your energy requirements.

At Exterior Clean Melbourne, our professionals deliver immaculate results, whether you hire us for residential or commercial properties. Utilising cutting-edge technology and ensuring that you, your family, your property and our staff stay safe throughout the procedure is our key motto. Reach out to our executives for all your requirements and experience our top-notch services.