Should You Clean Your Solar Panels? Before/After Testing!

Should You Clean Your Solar Panels? Before/After Testing!
⇨ Sponsor: Corsair Hydro X Series Liquid Cooling - bit.ly/PH-HydroX
Does cleaning your solar panels help? How about just hosing them down? Do they need a good scrub? I do my best to answer these questions in this much-requested video -- testing my panels before and after cleaning them.
Jump to Results: 6:40
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[@paulshardware]

To skip to results jump to 6:40 😉 Check out my Tesla Solar/Powerwall Installation Playlist - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eavccpaiqrmIg7c Thanks for watching guys!! 🙏🙏🙏

[@Erick726]

I can't stress this enough. Safety first. From the looks of your ladder and your extension brush you might be better off not even getting on your roof unless there's no faucet on that side. In that case get a longer hose.

[@markm0000]

Get a super long extension so you can scrub from the ground.

[@fhm4]

Thanks for the skip button.

[@TyberiussHunter]

Didn't Tesla have a recommended soap, brush, and directions for cleaning? They should know what products/methods are healthy for the panels.

[@ryakkan]

I was definitely think about soaps or cleaners that would have helped further than just brushing. Good question.

[@Leroyteam]

“Should you clean things that are dirty?”

[@AdrenalineRushMX]

i just clean my ass when it start to itch

[@seabreezecoffeeroasters7994]

How do you clean a Dirty Mind?

[@jondonnelly4831]

Well he's cleaned the panels, but not the Sun. So the Sun must be mighty dirty too. It's like cleaning only one side of a window. Lazy bastard.

[@tyroniebalonie]

@@jondonnelly4831 Lazy was the cleaning job he did, but dirt on the sun? Lol, that shit would get incinerated.

[@ParadoxEP]

well it was more of a "is it worth the time and effort cleaning them" like if it was a 2% increase it wouldn't be worth it.

[@Senluis13]

This panel can put out close to 100 watts kzbin.infoUgkxOqI2yqX0XVrhR2BMJciTWrHJpG8FhJyg when positioned in the appropriate southernly direction, tilted to the optimal angle for your latitude/date, and connected to a higher capacity device than a 500. The built in kickstand angle is a fixed at 50 degrees. Up to 20% more power can be output by selecting the actual date and latitude optimal angle.The 500 will only input 3.5A maximum at 18 volts for 63 watts. Some of the excess power from the panel can be fed into a USB battery bank, charged directly from the panel while also charging a 500. This will allow you to harvest as much as 63 + 15 = 78 watts.If this panel is used to charge a larger device, such as the power station, then its full output potential can be realized.

[@ashberic]

My neighbors wake up at 7 and cut their grass, much rather live next to a loon who scrubs his roof at 5am with a brush instead.

[@ulysseslee9541]

That is a clock alarm for your neighborhood XDD

[@larryspiller15]

Electric lawn mower would be quieter then conventional also lol

[@aron6998]

larry Spiller but not as good js

[@larryspiller15]

@@aron6998 there's nothing an electric push mower cant do that a gas push can

[@aron6998]

larry Spiller really? Well I’m sure you’d run out of battery before I ran out of gas don’t ya think but of course Commifornia has tiny yards so guess it’s not a big deal to y’all

[@xero110]

I'm here to feed the algorithm again. Nice algorithm, good algorithm, you like this don't you? Who's a good algorithm? You are, aren't you? Yes, you are. Also, thanks for the info Paul, one day all of this will be very helpful for me. First step tho, buy a house.

[@paulshardware]

Such a good algorithm! The algorithm gets a treat now. Lol 😄 thank you!!

[@thermophile2106]

The algorithm must CONSUME

[@mlenz2553]

All praise the Algorithm 🙌

[@CED99]

Hello algorithm. Also Hello 88HD, thanks for the comment. It was amusing :)

[@bertoray5497]

Definitely do a follow up video. Actually do two; One in which you just rinse the panels, and one in which you completely scrub them. Thank you for your contribution to public service.

[@eternalsugarhigh6843]

Cleaning your solar panels is almost as important as improving KZbin analytics.

[@robertsalas3984]

anal lunatics?

[@YotaNinja]

I've had solar for years, never cleaned the panels... They're pretty damned dirty. I think I'll clean them up and let you know.

[@calvinbourdo9718]

Following this. Hope to see a vid or some results.

[@davidbeppler3032]

40% is a huge difference!

[@737smartin]

Yota_Ninja ... DO IT! Then remember to come back and let us know your results.

[@JustKiddingPro]

So how did it go?

[@slater1182]

Yota, did you clean?

[@laramieist]

Paul, if your roof has a roof mount (an anchor that roofers use that is attached to your house) you can attach to that and get a repelling harness and attach it to the mount. You won't have to worry about falling, you can go lower or higher by adjusting your rope, and you can clean everywhere. Hope this helps.

[@davijoe2002]

Probably worth giving them a scrub after major fires. Ash travels a fair way I think!

[@DeFrisselle]

Not so much the ash, but the smoke particulates If you can smell it, they are getting dirty

[@rkevic]

My car has gathered a lot of dirt from all these wild fires and you can feel it in your nose. So yes

[@gernblanston4956]

@@rkevic , saving the spotted owl is much more important !

[@dinoscheidt]

As a European, interesting to read that major/minor fires are already part of casual conversation in the US 🤔😩🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ZanderX10]

Dino Scheidt Fires have been prevented in California for decades. The power infrastructure is also not well enough maintained... Then global warming has caused drought conditions specifically in California. It's been a long time coming really. There are of course also people who don't care and do things like throw cigarettes out their car windows...

[@BobbyKinstle]

Cleaning my panels every 2 months in the dry season resulted in an overall increase of 12% more power generated

[@ceciliahurst7867]

How did you clean your panels?

[@BobbyKinstle]

@@ceciliahurst7867 I use a long pole window washer sponge/squeegee I bought at Home Depot. I also spray them first with a mixture of the window washer fluid using the dial and spray on my garden hose and concentrated window cleaner

[@ceciliahurst7867]

Thank you for the advice. I’ll be buying a pole today.

[@Willielikesmonkeys]

Dish soap is your friend when scrubbing dirt. Windows, cars, dishes, barbecue, counters, smartphones, even TV's and monitors. Dish soap, the most useful household chemical.

[@Rainbow__cookie]

When you don't get nofication but still is early Cha Cha real smooth

[@cseblivestreaming]

Alright we gonna do the basic steps

[@mikew3515]

Now ive caught the vid, and liked immediately. Im off to bed as soon as ive finished watching. Hope the numbers are improving 🍻

[@paulshardware]

thanks Mike!

[@eternalsugarhigh6843]

Wow, you seem like a highly engaged viewer just like me! Seems like there are a lot of us aren't there?

[@greekthunder]

@@eternalsugarhigh6843 Same. Try to open and play all the way through even if I don't have time to watch it just have in background at the time. KZbin premium user here.

[@richardrodgers758]

Paul, another reason why early morning is a good idea... the later you wait to clean, the warmer the shingles will be. Stepping on shingles in the afternoon can damage them as they are soft. Even on a cold day, shingles absorb LOTS of heat. You don't want to scar up a nice roof from frequent activity while washing your solar panels.

[@discocrisco]

I want a future where every home is powered by solar. Major props to you Paul for taking on the cost yourself.

[@Phorak0231]

As someone in Australia who wants to get solar panels, this info is really helpful. Thanks Paul!

[@kevingo2892]

I assume you clean your car with a "soap". use the same stuff when you clean your panels . Also get a roof ladder.

[@paulshardware]

These ideas are mind-blowing 🤯

[@shaneanderson2109]

@@paulshardware or a 24 foot panel brush.......

[@erazorCTF]

@@paulshardware yer, with a roof ladder next to the panels you can hardly lose grip and can scrub them from the side

[@tatefinkbeiner8000]

@@paulshardware www.amazon.com/Todeco-Ladder-Universal-Maximum-Material/dp/B016XSKRX2/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=roof+ladder&qid=1572822033&s=hi&sr=1-10

[@ingeborgsvensson4896]

NEVER use soap on solar panels !

[@SteamPunk-xp2uv]

Get an extension ladder that extends at least three feet beyond the eve at a minimum angle of 30 degrees with an accessory top-stabilizer bar. They are easy to handle by yourself and feel very secure when you are climbing. With this setup you can reach the lower part of the array with ease. These things are so handy, your neighbors will ask to borrow it.

[@THEmickTHEgun]

When we purchased our solar panels earlier this year, we were told not to clean them with anything other than the hose. Basically don’t use a broom or brush or cloth, just spray water over them. Micro scratching is a thing.

[@classicrocklover5615]

My family installed a large ground mount system last year, and were told the same thing.

[@alistairbelyea1453]

Would love to see a full effort test of a thorough hose, followed by a full soap and scrub wash. Overdo it and see how large the differences are. Also a dollar breakdown per panel for the differences would be pretty boss.

[@lordransom9281]

You don't or should never use soap on solar panels... Simply use 0TDS water or water through a high pressure canister filled with DI Resin... Soap and water from a tap / mains tap water leaves behind calcium and Chlorine deposits leaving you with streaky / dirty looking PV Panels. Same method as window cleaners basically. Oh and never use a squeegee as they can pull dirt and break the protective coating.

[@silviopoggi8193]

Hi Paul We installed a 6k system just over 13 years ago and it became pretty clear that we needed to clean the array on a regular basis. However, our installation is on the roof of a 2 story home which makes it a real challenge to safely reach the panels. My solution was to array several metal pulsating lawn sprinklers above the panels, run pipe up to the roof, and automatically inject a cleaning solution into the water line whenever I turn on the cleaning system. It definitely increases output but I do think manually scrubbing would most likely increase output even more but not at the risk of hauling my ancient ass up a ladder with a brush and hose.

[@RecarroJamesOfficial]

@3:09 Absolutely Great tip. Been watching a few videos on cleaning and no one has mentioned anything about the best/most ideal time to clean. Thank you! 👍🏽

[@OwnageMan117]

im a window cleaner in NorCal that also cleans solar panels for customers regularly. 20-40% increase after cleaning is very common. Get them cleaned sometime after the rain stops in spring, and again after the first couple rains of the year in winter.

[@hamilpatel4025]

yes, multi-step cleaning would be interesting, could you reach the lower panels from the ground/ladder?

[@daniel_ghax]

Well, obviously yes. You know what happened to the mars rover opportunity? Still I am sure this will be a good video. Edit: Was indeed a good video.

[@MinistryOfMagic_DoM]

Oppy is just taking a nap. My plan when my mission lands on Mars is to go give oppy a good cleaning and maybe some love because she's such a good robot.

[@AnalystPrime]

@@MinistryOfMagic_DoM The real reason why people are pushing for a trip to Mars. Save the rovers! BTW, I hope lots of people got Surviving Mars couple weeks back when it was free on Epic Games, it's good.

[@SirNickyT]

Whoa that's a lot more than I expected. 30-40% is impressive. I always want to see more about the solar panels. I enjoy the videos you make about them.

[@julianrubio1700]

Awesome video. The salesman told me not to clean my panels. I've had them for a year now with very little rain and they look horrible. A few weeks ago I watered them down with a nozzle standing in my backyard. After they dried, from the ground they looked the same. After watching your video I now plan to try with a car brush. Thanks again.

[@rogermoore8977]

Yes, scrubbing needs to be done over just rinsing them off. On the other hand, dying while trying to clean panels is probably a bad idea.

[@TheGhungFu]

Off grid solar for ~20 years here. Some thoughts: 1. Cleaning does improve performance (duh). 2. Despite the shorter days in fall-winter, I often get very good performance due to lower temperatures. My record setting days have been in late Feb-early March on cold clear days. I've seen my arrays producing around 115% of their rated output at times on cold/clear days in late winter. Cleaning can help keep your panels cooler. That said, I have spent much more time washing my truck than washing my PV panels. 3. Those who do the math on the cost of solar, based purely on economic concerns, are missing the greater picture. While I haven't paid a power bill in around 20 years, I also haven't purchased any NASTY GRID POWER during that period, and my power HAS NEVER GONE OUT during that period except when I have turned the system off for a couple of hours for maintenance and upgrades. During that (~20 year) period, my nearby friends and neighbors have seen their overall rates increase about 50%. 4. There are no easements or rights-of-way of any kind into my property (no need). If the power company comes on my property, they are trespassing. Just sayin'.....

[@gauravaggarwal5508]

What about over-all performance of ur solar panels in 20 years?

[@Kingfisher1215]

Regarding point 3, you say people who focused purely on economics are missing the greater picture, but the rest of point 3 mainly deals with Economics. Just saying...

[@thomaswomack3888]

I'd love to pick your brain and learn as much as i can about your off grid experience and what your overall cost has been, the type of battery tech you are using and why, and how good it feels to be totally independent of the greedy power company

[@dustystotler1376]

So for the future of your solar panels..... #1 Call up Tesla and ask them what kind of soap you can use. Dawn soap is used to clean animals found that are covered in crude oil from oil spills. #2 Find a longer pole with a car wash brush attachment, use "Tweezers" to attach the garden hose to the pole. Thanks for the update and data Paul.

[@prjndigo]

It is ALWAYS worth looking in to the manufacturer recommended cleaning equipment.

[@superliljohn91]

Your videos helped me get the courage to build my own PC a few years ago and maintain it since. It really sucks that the KZbin algorithm has been punishing you recently. Hopefully this comment counts towards the viewer engagement bit. All the best from across the pond

[@viol999]

How about just comparing your solar production from when the panels were first installed, and clean, to how they performed 12 months later prior to cleaning.

[@madeofdrew]

cause that makes too much sense and how else would he get a 10 minute video of him "cleaning" his panels

[@aaronchristensen9112]

Solar would vary too much over such a long time to provide a meaningful comparison. His was actually a good methodology given the limitations of his sample size and all other factors.

[@Starganderfish]

Well it could be argued that there may be a degradadion in the quality of the panels over that time as well? Panels have a multi-year life span true, but after a year of use, I would expect them to be working at a slightly lower efficiency. By doing it this way, you remove the variable of panels aging. And by recording the measurements over a month, you're able to average out the daily variable of different amounts of light and so the primary source of any change in your results is the cleaning. It's all about minimising the number of variables that can distort the results.

[@lestermarshall6501]

@@madeofdrew If he had gone that route he would still have had to clean them.

[@madeofdrew]

@@lestermarshall6501 exactly which is why I couldn't even watch the rest of the video after seeing his attempt at cleaning them lol

[@MichaelHarrisPhotography]

Cleaned today 2:00PM thanks for the video, didn't look dirty but got a 28% increase on the next 15 minute report. Clear day if anything it should have gone down a little bit from tree shade.

[@coolblu101]

I live in a very dusty place in the dry season. I cleaned my panels after only one week and saw a 10% improvement. well worth cleaning if you want to get the most out of them.

[@glen1491]

Try using soap and they sell brushes that extends out to 11 meters, they are a little expensive but would make for another interesting video 😁

[@CyberlightFG]

It says in the user manual, that you should only use water

[@Airclot]

With a brush I'd be worried about trapping dust and sand under the brush and then the back and forth movement scratches the solar panels. A lot of dust you see settle on things is silica, so as hard or harder than the glass. From what I've heard, the best way to clean it is to give it a long sweep from one side of the panel to the other without a back and forth motion, just like cleaning your phone screen. That way you pile up the dust in front of your brush and just push it off instead of scrubbing it back and forth over the glass.

[@EdyPegasus]

Airclot water alone is a great lubricant and prevents dust and sand from creating as many scratches. Given the lifespan of solar panels, cleaning will result in more power even with small scratches, compared to not cleaning.

[@justsomeguy934]

@@CyberlightFG What harm would soap do?

[@CyberlightFG]

@@justsomeguy934 I don't know. The manual says, that you shouldn't use anything else then cold water.

[@itsdeonlol]

Where is Lyle when you need him lol!

[@dandel351]

Paul I'd say the safest way clean your panels is to get a long pole of some kind and do the cleaning from the ground if at all possible. As someone who has fallen from height and broken a leg doing it I'd say stay on the ground if you can. Failing that , I'd go and get a fall harness if you need to work from the apex of the roof. You could use truck wash soap to clean as well as long as you remember to rinse it off totally.

[@pedrogarces6876]

I live at the Midwest and noticed 20% improvement as my area gets rain frequently. I clean mine from the ground with a car washing scrubber similar to yours. I did clean my twice as I noticed spots that appear to still be dirty after the 1st wash. This was my first cleaning in 4 years. Nice channel!

[@argammonofrendor1651]

That was a big difference! Make a permanent waternossel installation so you dont have to go up on the roof at all. Just flik a valve and your good 😉

[@Michael-OBrien]

Argammon of Rendor, you still occasionally need mechanical scrubbing because chemically it won’t get everything.

[@ericsalidbar1693]

@@Michael-OBrien alright so then there should be a solar panel rumbo style robot scrubber.

[@swankshire6939]

@@ericsalidbar1693 I mean all you basically need is a rumba with a water jet and tether it down. If I had solar panels I'd love to try making a solar panel cleaning robot

[@ericsalidbar1693]

nathan smith haha let's make it happen lol.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Make sure not to use hard water. You don't want permanent calcium build up.

[@BobHolowenko]

When we had our last round of massive wild fires here in BC, we had to visit our solar hilltop repeater sites and scrub our panels.

[@weegaz22]

Paul, you really need to do all of them properly as depending on the way the panels are wired into the system (of which i am unfamiliar with the Tesla's system) you can find that the panels will only generate at the same level as the panel receiving the least amount of light, its the one reason why system installers will look at shadows cast from things on the roof like chimneys or trees near the house casting shadows onto it are particular points of the day as the shadow cast onto 1 panel will cause a drop across them all, Get yourself a long telescopic waterfed pole meant for window cleaning with a long goose neck on it that way you can do it safely from the ground, it'll pay for itself in no time if you do the panels every couple of months.

[@christiankama2155]

Definitely why I started a solar panel cleaning business here in SoCal! They definitely need to be cleaned if you want them running at maximum efficiency!

[@ColdWindPhoenix84]

My boss suggested using deionized water, he said it tends to pick up minerals from the surface.

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

Paul does Mythbusters!!! I would not have thought the difference would have been so large, either.

[@CharlieVN]

Get a 24’ pole, had my son spray while I scrubbed. Going to clean every six months, seems like I got a 10% higher peak output instead of measuring days. Worth it for me.

[@johnshaw3640]

Yup, it does make a difference. One recommendation is to use purified water. Regular tap water over time may end up developing hard water spots and scaling due to potential heavy mineral content.

[@f2v2productions22]

To all the people that commented in the previous video of this series that cleaning is "insignificant" or "not worth it" what say you now? Very interesting video Paul, I enjoyed it a lot. My family is in So.Cal. too and dad never cleans his solar panels saying that it "can't be worth the hassle". Now I have some hard evidence to show him to the contrary. I would indeed like to see an additional follow-up about an actual brush cleaning of all panels. I wonder if waiting for summer again though would be more worthwhile. The logistics I will leave to you, the professional, though :D

[@ABaumstumpf]

It depends on the installation and panels, but lets say it like this - even 10 year old panels here do not look nearly as dirty as his panels looked - AFTER the washing.

[@f2v2productions22]

Drought conditions state-wide, dust storms and even just wind storms being very common.... I think our WEATHER has more to do with it than anything else, especially installation method or panel quality.... but since the other side of that coin is all the sunlight we get, hoseing the panels down monthly is a small price to pay

[@ksks6802]

I'm not sure I can trust a man that doesn't have a ladder 🤔

[@kevinhunter7581]

Well he has one now (or at least I think he said he got one). So problem solved.

[@ericsalidbar1693]

@@kevinhunter7581 he said he originally had one it just wasnt high enough to reach his roof.... so yeah he did and does has a ladder.

[@gundamfan2020]

you should see jay handle liquid nitrogen with no glasses or gloves lol mans a legend ha ha

[@PaulMansfield]

I've got 16 panels, 2 rows of 8 in portrait, fitted in May this year. My roof is steeper than usual, 50 degrees off horizontal/40 off vertical, and we get a fair amount of rain here in England so I'm hoping I won't need to clean them too often, I've not done it yet, but having seen your video I'm definitely not going to wait too long.

[@showme360]

I clean mine 3 yearly in the spring, summer and autumn. It makes a difference otherwise I would not bother!!

[@socialkruption]

This is why I keep my panels on the ground and not the house, so much easier to clean.

[@albertbatfinder5240]

I keep mine in a shed. They’re spotlessly clean.

[@burtonnystrom4606]

You get better production when the panels are on the roof, they produce more by being energized sooner on morning sun rise and then again at sun down

[@gomerhondo7249]

Easier to get a rock on the ground too.

[@machelvet9594]

8:52 I had the same question a few years back. We have a ground installation, 2 systems, 2 meters, same panels, installed the same day and they pretty much produce the same amount of electricity every month. The variation between the two systems is at about 0.1%. At the beginning of a new monthly cycle I cleaned one system the same way you did and left the other one as is. Then I just let it run for one month and was very curious about the outcome. To my surprise the production was practically the same. Maybe there was a difference of 0.2%, I don't remember. But the effort and time consumption to clean the panels was not worth the result. To be honest, I'm glad there was no difference otherwise I might have been compelled to clean them regularly.

[@edshelden7590]

Yes I would like to see a complete scrub cleaning. A real test would be get 2 panels side by side and let one be dirty and the other clean. From what I understand the solar panel industry as a whole is very elusive about this. It would also be interesting to know the exact specification on how to clean these panels.

[@jeffreywilmot3798]

I bought an extendable pole at Home Depot that is fiber glass and aluminum. I don't have as many panels as you, I think 15 and east facing. Can clean from A-frame ladder or roof. Use a house wash soap through a fertilizer sprayer and then scrub and rinse. A lot of upper body work, but cleaning can make up to a 20% diff for me.

[@MrHendrikje]

"Even if I followed it up 6 months, to a year, 2 years" > Suggested video: HTPC Build Part 2

[@_clemens_]

Do you have microinverters or are all panels just connected together? I would do this test with an installation with microinverters where you can monitor what every panel produces. Then just clean 1/2 of the panels and compare it that way. As sunlight is exactly the same the test is fair. I have an installation with microinverters, living in Belgium and here I have the impression that my panels are ca. 5-10 % less performing then when they were installed in 2015. As a reference I take the generated power of the best day of every year, and I reached my day record pretty much immediatly after placing them (some weeks after it), but never reached that record again . Maybe I'll get on my roof and will do the test of cleaning half of the panels and monitor what they produce in electricity. Until now I never cleaned them... Oh what is also important: if all panels are connected together, a dirty spot on 1 panel can drastically reduce total performance of your whole installation. With a microinverter installation also this variable is removed. So depending if you have a classical or a microinverter installation, cleaning the panels is more or less important.

[@waxiliumladrian6470]

Thank you for the insight. 5-10% doesn't sound that relevant to me and could have other reasons (the ageing of your panels). I live in a similar (humid) climate; installed my panels about the same time Paul did. I have never heard that I needed cleaning them. Then again, we have more rain here & the angle of my roof is much steeper. Nevertheless, that is something to look at for the future - since with climate change we now regularly tend to get droughts in summer.

[@polik971]

Average data says that panels are aging at about 0,8-1%/Y . Maybe a bit less on very good quality ones. Production is very sensitive also on working temperature(so ambient temperature too) with a negative coefficient , so if year after year is getting warmer then the production will be less

[@aernihr]

Panels with individual microinverters is what I have. 8-10 % improvement when I cleaned I year after install. I could see that panels with microinverters tolerate dirt better than panels that are connected to 1 inverter.

[@NoGasWelcomeAboard]

Yes this works. Doing all from bottom of panels also works! For non-pro likely safer to do that way, IF your panels easily accessible like mine. They are located in dry SW USA desert climate so get coated with thick layer of dust. Simple rinse gets thickest part, but leaves residue. Thorough cleaning always better. Search YT for “solar panel cleaning” How-To videos.

[@PoeticJusticeSC]

Wow, that's more than I noticed on my panels. I cleaned mine nine months after installation and only noticed about a 1% increase. literally from 40 to 40.4. They weren't terribly dirty, but I cleaned them with a brush and water. I determined that if I was only going to get a 1% increase in power, that I was going to lose more than that in the shortened life of my shingles by walking around on them every couple months. But given the results you saw, it's obviously worth cleaning them if they get as dirty as yours did (mine were now where near that dirty even after 9 months).

[@Matlockization]

Manual labor is a little different to building computers.

[@EdyPegasus]

Matlockization i found if amusing how he was afraid of falling. It is not steep at all and his panels needed a deeper cleaning.

[@Matlockization]

@Arcavian Empri. Your right, but that's what happens when you get too comfortable in front of a computer all your life. Also a reality check for any one who is thinking of going solar.

[@CleverCracker1]

Feasible to stand on the ladder and use the extension brush to scrub upwards to reach the panels?

[@madeofdrew]

and get soaked lol

[@Garth2011]

By far, they are generating more when clean. Just a thought, the cleaning brush is rather narrow. I'm sure there are wider ones available up to maybe 2 to 3 feet wide plus, the pole used are also available in more extended versions. I'd also use a very light amount of dish washing soap to help free some of the dirt as soap lessens the surface tension of water. Maybe a 3 or 5 pound weight on the brush will help for the farthest panels. It appears they do clean up fairly well when brushed while the non brushed panels still had residue on them. If nothing else, they look better when clean !

[@santos010]

Thank you for the video!! I just got solar panels. With your charts explanation absolutely cleaning once every 2-3 months makes sense. 30-40% more production. WOW!!

[@sk8mag99]

Very interesting results. A window washing brush/squeegee combo may work a little better for this though. Also, if you can find a long enough telescoping pole you shouldn't have to get up on the roof.

[@chrisswift2448]

You have had them that long? Geez, where did the year go...

[@alfredvalrie5541]

I'm a new solar owner as of last March. We had our first rains last weekend, and I noticed a 50% jump.

[@GabrielSBarbaraS]

I clean mine with the same method, hose connected to the wand, but I do them from the bottom of the roof. Had to put a half-inch PVC extension about 8ft to reach the top of the panels. Got about a 20% increase on comparable days.

[@guyjordan8201]

Google "long pole solar panel brush" - do

[@busog97641]

I did and I actually thought that I was going to see something naughty ie, sex related.

[@guyjordan8201]

@@busog97641 - sometimes a search is just a search

[@mooredann69]

Lives in Southern California: complains about not getting sunny day🙄

[@abbrad17]

Even has to go clean panels by hand because it NEVER RAINS?!?! Geographic variety is nuts! Great vid!

[@foxruneec]

Great video. I am off-grid and have noticed I am getting poorer conversions. I also hate roofs but I am definitely going to get up there and clean my panels.

[@HalkerVeil]

You could hook up a garden watering irrigation system to keep them clean by opening a faucet once in awhile. Or a timer. Jobs done.

[@RentableSocks]

don't use that brush on your car, it'll scratch up the paint.

[@irishgiant5150]

Every millennial with self-diagnosed OCD is freaking out about the dusty bottom panels.

[@thefoildesigner]

To take the guessing out of the equation (so to speak), a better approach would be not to clean one module and use it as reference (works only for installation with micro inverters that reports module by module outputs). You could compare the relative output of any other modules to this uncleaned reference before and after cleaning the other modules (and use essentially the uncleaned module as a "reference diode" to get relative improvements). This way you do not need to worry about cloud coverage, long term average and projection. It becomes essentially a true apple to apple comparison. I am planning to do this on my installation soon, which got me to this video.

[@Roelonl]

I clean my panels with rainwater ONLY, works perfect for years, (june 2013) steady performance sinds

[@hewyx1186]

you should call a industrial window cleaning place. They have extension poles that can be used from the ground so you don't damage your shingles.

[@dwahnaslowdown8887]

Paul - it may have been said in the 600 comments below, but google a telescoping window-washing tool. They come in various lengths, but you would only need maybe a 12 footer. They are similar to the tool you have, but much longer, with a soft, wide, dust-mop-like head. Definitely clean those panels better than just a rinse. You'll gain another 5% at least.

[@PaladinOfHope]

i stopped looking at notifications, i simply refresh my subscription tab regularly. No more will i miss any video.

[@freighter109ha4]

I do the same. I have 25ish subscriptions and use no notifications. When I get home from work, I just click on subscriptions. Simple and no annoying notifications on my pc.

[@irvingtriggermortise848]

To make your life easy get an extension ladder and an RV cleaning brush you might have to move the ladder several times but it will keep you off the roof. The RV brush can extend 20' or more so you should be able to clean all your panels.

[@pcihector]

Here we removed the solar panels because a huricane was approaching. I cleaned, used a clay Bay and polished them with car polisher that leaves no residue (Surface is glass). Amps production improved really good. But still looking for the actual products to protect them. (I identified already one with two steps product) to remove any residue of the previous product used and protect them. Clay Bay showed me with no doubt that scrubbing them is not enough.

[@EVMANVSGAS]

Yes Paul, do it again in the future. Also compare hosing them down vs really cleaning them using soap when you scrub them. .

[@jeromeeven9217]

forwarded this to my dad. we live in different countries now. he hasn't cleaned his panels since they were installed, a good 10 years ago

[@arimurdul]

Instead of using regular hose, may be using adjustable pressure washer would be a better choice. If you adjust the water pressure to a degree that won't damage the panels but enough to clean them without using any brush can result better and will result using less water to clean those.

[@DeilGrist]

Scrubbed vs Rinsed sounds like a good video to me! Will be educational for our Mars endeavors. :P

[@bradquinn4161]

This is one of the many reasons we suggest ground mounting solar panels rather than roof mounting. If you choose this method make certain that the bottom side is high enough to clear a lawn mower and higher than what a typical animal (usually dogs) in the area can reach.

[@topev7864]

Hi Paul I would advise next time you use fall protection harness prevent you from getting hurt, you need to demonstrate to your viewers that you’re doing it safe. More people get injured from working on roof and ladders than anywhere else around their home.

[@cliffyburnett]

20% improvement not cleaned since installed 20 months ago. went from 4kw output to 5kw output peak.... good advice.

[@chasm9557]

Having worked construction, that roof might not be steep compared to most roofs I've worked on, but any roof feels like the steepest roof in the world when you're uncomfortable on it, and it's best to not step out of your comfort zone up there. To make you feel safer, get a body harness with a suitable length of braided rope to tie yourself off, assuming you have something safe to tie off to on the other side of your roof.

[@MyPetrushka]

Good job explaining. Thank you so much for the information. Husband did it but he did not extrapolate the findings. You did and that was good.

[@Eaglebird]

There are tether systems specifically for roofing applications. Grab one and give every panel a good wash and see what you can generate then!

[@trainliker100]

I made a setup so I don't have to go on the roof (which I no longer feel secure about doing). But that requires a LONG extendable handle. I got a Garant brand "Roof Rake with Extendable Handle" from Ace Hardware. This is meant for pulling snow accumulation off a roof. It is pretty good and only cost around fifty dollars. I already had a cleaning brush on a shorter extendable handle you could run water through similar to the one in the video. I removed the cleaning brush and threw away its handle. (The water in my area is far too poor to be putting on solar panels anyway.) I affixed the brush to the end of the "roof rake" setup and discarded the roof rake blade. (You might have to get a bit creative to attach the brush depending on how the brush is designed). I already had a portable D. I. water setup on a cart from "CR Spotless" that I use to wash cars. To clean the panels, I set up a free standing ladder about 8 feet from the house. I go up three steps on the ladder to be high enough to see what I am doing and I can reach all the way to the top of the panels with the handle fully extended. I do it very early in the morning at first light. I first give a slight D.I. water rinse to wet the panels. I put a little car wash soap (not dish detergent) on the brush and can do the width of two panels top to bottom with the ladder at one position. I just let the weight of the brush and handle be what pushes on the brush. After scrubbing, I rinse spraying at the top first and working down. Then, I move the ladder over to do the next group of panels. I have to put the ladder in four locations to get all the panels. If there are any leaves stuck on the panel, the water rinse won't be effective since you can't really get a downward force. For that, I lift the brush and place it high up on the panels and then drag the brush down to drag the leaves off. This actually goes pretty fast and takes me about a half hour. It doesn't take very much D. I. water to do it (or you could have a reverse osmosis setup as another means for good water). I can do it any time and don't have to pay a fee for somebody else to do it.

[@QuantumBraced]

That is a really significant difference, and that's without even cleaning all the panels properly. It may be worth investing in a hook + tether to install on your roof, so you can attach yourself for safety and then clean all the panels properly. Even the ones you cleaned with the brush didn't seem perfectly cleaned, might be worth investing in some special-purpose equipment and going up there once every few months. The rain doesn't seem to do a good enough job, it appears they need scrubbing. It's good exercise anyway and will save you money.

[@joer8854]

Any roofing store has a fall protection kit. Tell them what your doing because you want a rope not a lanyard. You want it to limit your ability to travel not arrest your fall. (make it so you can't fall instead of stopping you once you do fall.) They will show you how it works. It's very important to keep your panels clean as any restriction in the light reaching the solar panels will drastically effect your efficiency. Ask anyone with a sailboat and panels.

[@unpopulartrip5827]

Paul tryna get that 10:00 mark but tells us when we could skip to, what a guy

[@zublacus]

I have 40 solar panels...I definitely have tested before and after cleaning, it DOES make more power.

[@ColonelK0rn1]

Try getting a foam lance cannon attachment that you can attach to a pressure washer. A lot of the grime will be released and carried off of the surface of the panels with just a follow-up rinse. I use one for washing my van, and it's made what used to be a laborious job into a quick job. Be sure to get a soap that works with a foam nozzle. It would be like a giant foam party on your roof.

[@xelnaga18]

Paul you need a window washer pole kit things. people who clean like 5-8 story buildings have a pole with a scrubber that has a hose hookup on the bottom. and they reach the windows from the ground. basically you can do this all from the ground

[@mattdillion4999]

Paul. You can clean your solar panels from the ground or even the lower part of the roof. Use PVC pipe and attach the water hose to one end and brush to the other end. The thing is you can add more than one peace of pipe together to reach the top. Place the brush end on top of panels before turning water on to make lifting easier.

[@nathanweiser6998]

That is pretty neat, I just crossed the 1 year mark with my panels so I will try and get this done with before and after metrics.