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Anyone know a company that clean Solar Roof panels?
- Thread starter jboy210
- Start date
I think before you pay someone to do it, you should try the hosing-off-method. You can make a ghetto "extender hose" by duct taping a short male/female leader hose to one of those extender poles used to change high-up light bulbs or paint high-up walls. You can then stick your normal garden hose up to this without messing up your normal hose. On the other end, you can even stick one of those foamy-car-wash attachments to the end and blast some suds.
It won't be 100% clean, but I'm sure the entire state of California will catch on fire in November after the General Election anyway and you can repeat this exercise. There will be human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together!
It won't be 100% clean, but I'm sure the entire state of California will catch on fire in November after the General Election anyway and you can repeat this exercise. There will be human sacrifice! Dogs and cats living together!
I do have a referral if you like.
https://www.portersolarsolutions.com/
I know him personally, Nathan is a professional and will take care of you.
https://www.portersolarsolutions.com/
I know him personally, Nathan is a professional and will take care of you.
I've used Chris Howe of Good Clean Sun to clean panels. Good Clean Sun - Ben Lomond, CA I know he was evacuated during the fires but I don't know if he is back in business and how impacted he was by the fires.
For me, paying someone to clean the panels is about a wash (production gained from cleaning vs the cost of paying someone). Someone like Chris who actually knows about has solar has had additional value to me. He helped identify an issue I was having BP modules and I was able to get a warranty payout for those.
ArizonaJon
Member
There is a report from the University of Arizona regarding this. The article from Technicians for Sustainability (link below) has a link to the original report.
Solar Panel Maintenance & Cleaning: What You Need to Know — Technicians For Sustainability | Tucson Solar & Battery Installation
Solar Panel Maintenance & Cleaning: What You Need to Know — Technicians For Sustainability | Tucson Solar & Battery Installation
So any ideas on how to clean the panels on a 2 story house (our house is basically a cube, so no roof or anything on the first floor to stand on to reduce the heigh). I don't really want to buy a ladder that is tall enough for the sole reason of spraying down solar panels (also the side of the house where the panels are located is uneven terrain so a ladder isn't the best idea). I looked at some gutter cleaner stuff but none of them looked like they would get high enough.
The panel cleaners have super long carbon fiber poles and a special attachment for the pressure washer to go on the end.
ArizonaJon
Member
Re did I see a drop due to the fires? Yes, especailly when the smoke came in from CA for a few days. Things are back to normal now, but there are two fires just southwest of here that will start to impact the generation today. The CA smoke may reappear tomorrow when the wind shifts due to a low pressure area comming in. But the good news is we are not hitting 100+ temp any more. Yesterday for the first time since July, I generated more power than the house used.
My production has been significantly down, and I tried the hose method without much result. Makes sense though, I initially tried hosing all the ash off of my wife's car and found very quickly that that stuff was effectively "baked" on, and required an actual wash with sponge and soap.
I figure I need to do the same for the panels, but will be hiring someone to do the job on account of the height and angle of the roof. The tricky part is deciding whether to get them cleaned now or wait and see if there's going to be another major fire/smoke event that obscures them again. At this point I think I'm going to wait until the rains (hopefully) arrive and reassess then.
I figure I need to do the same for the panels, but will be hiring someone to do the job on account of the height and angle of the roof. The tricky part is deciding whether to get them cleaned now or wait and see if there's going to be another major fire/smoke event that obscures them again. At this point I think I'm going to wait until the rains (hopefully) arrive and reassess then.
Still looking for more references. Some of the ones suggested do not service where I am in the East Bay, Pleasanton. Also, they were sounded a little leary of the SolarRoof and solarglass.
I am thinking of calling the local contractor that installed the roof as a part of the Tesla team, Roof Roofs & Remodels in Concord, and get their recommendations for a cleaner. But if anyone knows of someone that service the East Bay let me know.
I am thinking of calling the local contractor that installed the roof as a part of the Tesla team, Roof Roofs & Remodels in Concord, and get their recommendations for a cleaner. But if anyone knows of someone that service the East Bay let me know.
Check your contract, but I would imagine that it says that YOU are responsible for keeping the panels clean (as well as not allowing anything that really impacts production, like shade trees that were not there when they installed, etc.).
Thats how my solar city contract is, from 2016, anyway, and i am billed for what I produce, so they have a financial incentive to have my production as high as possible. They still will not clean, per my contract.
I just had my panels cleaned.. BUT I know that the cost of the cleaning is more than I would save from the increased production. It doesnt pencil out, I just didnt like the lower production. I also have a really good window cleaning / solar cleaning company I use out here. They are definitely not cheap, but the owner is nice, professional, punctual, and has been in business for quite a while. He also knows how to walk on roofs without any damage, and sends before and after pics etc.
I have a soft spot for small businesses that treat people right, and am willing to pay more to patronize such a business if I can.
If you are an owner Tesla definitely says you are responsible I assume the same as a rented. Here is the response I got seeing if Tesla had a service I could pay for to have them clean my SolarRoof.
Thank you for your email. This is xxxx. with Tesla Energy Customer Support. There are some factors that can affect production temporarily, such as inclement weather and shading. Another factor that is often overlooked is being within a close enough proximity to wildfires, pollution or having a solar system that is installed near farmland or other dusty conditions.. This causes a film to build up that needs to be washed away.
If you have excessive soiling, such as from bird droppings, you may wish to hire a local solar panel cleaning service. As cleaning the panels is part of the homeowner’s responsibility, Tesla is not able to assist with the process or cost of the cleaning.
I know this is a bit off the topic since I am not in the bay area and dont have a solar roof, but instead have solar panels. I had my solar panels cleaned in march of this year, but due to the fires etc, you can see the difference in dirt etc on my panels in what is basically 7-8 months.
Looks much better!! Is that you up there on the roof? If not, what did they charge you to clean the panels?
No, thats the company I hired I mentioned in my post above. This company charges by the panel, and my 34 panels cost $264 to clean. He does an excellent job, with a soft brush, some cleaning solution, and a long hose. Its the same company I use to clean my windows, and who I had replace all the screens in my home last year. they custom built the new screens on site to replace the "builder grade" screens and frames I had on my home.
My production went up about 2-3 kWh a day but that increase wont cover the cost, but it makes me feel better (lol).
Definitely looks like you got your money's worth from the panel cleaning.
I will have to add checking window cleaning companies to my list. The SolarRoof tiles are thick glass. It makes sense a windows cleaner would be able to clean it.
