How Often Should Rooftop Solar Panels Be Cleaned?

In today's era of sustainable energy, solar energy, as a clean and renewable energy source, is being adopted by more and more households and businesses. Rooftop solar panels have become a common way to obtain energy. However, many people wonder how often rooftop solar panels should be cleaned, which is indeed a key issue because the frequency of cleaning will affect the power generation efficiency of solar panels.

First of all, we must make it clear that the more frequently the solar panels are cleaned, the better. Generally speaking, in normal outdoor environments, it is recommended to clean the glass frame of solar panels every 6 months or once a year. This is because too frequent cleaning may cause unnecessary wear and tear on the surface of the solar panels, and in some environments, rainwater itself has a cleaning effect.

However, the actual cleaning cycle will be affected by many factors.

If the environment where the solar panels are located is dusty and debris-rich, such as in some areas with severe industrial pollution or places with strong winds and sand, then the cleaning cycle should be appropriately shortened. In a heavily polluted environment, such as around industrial areas, it is recommended to shorten the cleaning cycle to 1-2 months. Because a lot of dust accumulates on the surface of solar panels, it will greatly hinder the absorption of sunlight, thereby reducing the power generation efficiency.

Seasonal factors also have an impact on the cleaning cycle. In spring, due to the wind, the surface of photovoltaic panels is prone to dust accumulation. It is recommended to perform a comprehensive cleaning at least once a month. In summer, the temperature is high and the light is strong. Photovoltaic panels face the problem of high-temperature heat dissipation and stain cleaning after frequent rainfall. The cleaning frequency depends on the local rainfall conditions. If the rainfall is frequent and the rainfall is large, the number of manual cleaning times can be appropriately reduced; if there is no rain for a long time, it needs to be cleaned once every 2-3 weeks, focusing on cleaning stubborn stains such as bird droppings and mosquito corpses. In autumn, the temperature difference between morning and evening is large, and there is a lot of dew, which is easy to breed mold on the surface of photovoltaic panels. The power station should be inspected at least once a week. If fallen leaves are found, they should be cleaned in time. The surface of photovoltaic panels can be deeply cleaned every 1-2 months. Snow and ice in winter are challenges faced by photovoltaic power stations. When there is snow on the photovoltaic panels, if the snow is thin, you can wait for the sun to melt it naturally; if the snow is thick, it needs to be cleaned manually.

In addition, the type of solar panel will also affect the cleaning cycle. For example, for the new solar panels of the 5th, 6th and 7th generations mentioned in , under normal circumstances, small stains are unlikely to cause problems, so they do not need to be cleaned too frequently.

In summary, there is no fixed cleaning cycle for rooftop solar panels. When considering the cleaning cycle, it is necessary to consider many factors such as the environment, season and type of solar panel. If you are not sure about the specific cleaning time, you can also monitor the power generation efficiency of the solar panel to determine whether it needs to be cleaned. If you find that the power generation efficiency has dropped significantly, it may mean that the solar panel needs to be cleaned.