How to clean your solar panels efficiently.

Congratulations on taking the time to learn how to clean your solar panels correctly.  If you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’ve already seen somewhere else online that using soap is not what to use…  If you didn’t know that, well now you know.  You also shouldn’t use traditional glass cleaners for a bunch of reasons, which I’ll elaborate on.  Can you use water only?  Well… sure, if you have specialty brushes and de-ionized water to avoid leaving water spots on your panels.  If you’re like most of us without de-ionized water, then you better squeegee your panels dry after cleaning them, which adds even more time to the process.  Geesh…  There’s got to be a better way right?  

Before I answer the question, I should mention that I’ve dedicated over 20 years to working in the solar industry.  It’s been a wild, learn something new every day, kinda ride on the so-called “solar coaster”, but I have zero intention of stopping.  The world needs more solar and once installed, it also needs to continue producing optimally.  Given this, my work is not done.   

Back to cleaning solar panels, for the first few years, the standard thinking was that rain will clean the panels for you.  Then when it became obvious that rain doesn’t clean grimy oil-caked dirt or bird droppings off panels, it became brushes and squeegees for DIY folks.   In recent years solar service companies have grown and are offering panel cleaning too, which can be a great option; primarily when packaged with additional services to offset the cost of rolling the truck onsite.   

For the rest of us that simply want to clean our solar panels as efficiently as possible, what should we use?  Soap leaves a filmy residue that will reduce output and potentially attract more dirt.  Glass cleaners often have ammonia or other harsh detergents that can actually void the solar panel warranty and disintegrate the anti-reflective coating on most panels.  Hard water and squeegeeing are time-intensive and potentially unsafe climbing all over your roof. 

It was because of this clear need that all of us had for an ideal solar panel cleaner, that I decided it was worth the time, energy, and investment to bring SolarShine to market.  

To me, the ideal solar panel cleaner should be:

• Non-toxic, biodegradable, ammonia-free.
• Pre-packaged to attach to a garden hose for a simple spray-on and rinse-off solution.
• Hard water OK – streak-free formulation.  
• No / minimal brushing required.  
• Protection from future dirt buildup.  Cleaning is one thing, but keeping panels clean is the key.

SolarShine has been formulated and packaged to accomplish every item on the list.  Simply attach the bottle to your garden hose and spray it on your panels. For first-time use, you may need to brush a little bit, but I believe you’ll be absolutely shocked how clean your panels will get with so little effort.  I know I’ve been truly blown away by how effective it is.  Once your panels have been cleaned, the lasting clear-coat protectant is hydrophobic and anti-static to help withstand future buildup.  With your panels cleaner, longer, this will reduce the amount of total time you’ll spend cleaning your panels over the years.  And oh yeah, cleaner panels mean more energy production and savings…

Look, I love solar, but I’m also way too busy in my daily work and family life to be spending more time cleaning my solar panels than necessary.   However, I also know that filthy solar panels are only producing a fraction of the energy they should.  So when I clean my panels, I use SolarShine.  Sure, it’s my product, but I also know that only quality ingredients were used and there’s nothing else available that will keep my panels cleaner, longer.   

Bottom line, if you want to be as efficient with your time as possible to clean and protect your solar panels, use SolarShine.   

If you want to order a bottle I’d recommend at least 2 to get the best value because shipping costs don’t increase linearly, and eventually you’ll need to wash your panels again.  

Cheers to Sunny Skies and SolarShine’d Panels

-Ryan