Solar panel cleaning to keep your system producing

The Valley’s long, sunny days are great for solar, but the same dry season that brings all that sun also brings dust. Panels near orchards, row crops, dirt roads or construction can pick up a visible film quickly, especially during harvest and windy spells. Spring pollen adds a sticky layer, fire season can coat panels with ash, and pigeons leave droppings that block light in concentrated spots. Since summer usually passes with little or no rain, rooftop systems in Fresno and Clovis rarely get a natural rinse when they need it most.

Cleaning panels the right way protects both the glass and your system. Many panels have a coating on the glass that can be scratched by abrasive pads or damaged by high-pressure spray, so we use soft brushes and purified water instead. Purified water has its minerals removed, which means it dries without leaving the spots that hose water often does. Where it’s practical, we work from the ground with a water-fed pole; otherwise we access the roof carefully. We also look under and around the array for leaves and nesting debris.

Timing makes a difference. Many homeowners schedule cleanings after spring pollen season and again in late summer or fall, once harvest dust and ash have settled. Early morning cleanings are ideal because the panels are still cool, which is gentler on the glass than spraying hot panels in the afternoon heat, and our day starts at 5am. If your system has a monitoring app, it’s a simple way to notice when output dips on clear days. If birds are part of the problem, pairing cleaning with bird proofing keeps droppings and nests from building up again.