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Solar panels are a fairly fool-proof way to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Once you decide to move forward with installation, the panels themselves pretty much take care of the rest.

The benefit to required effort ratio will likely leave you feeling surprised – especially when you work with a company like Lumina that goes above and beyond to keep the process simple.

No need to worry about developing an elaborate maintenance routine. In fact, solar panels will hardly take any time out of your life at all.

When it comes to cleaning panels, the less complicated the better. However, there are some things you can do to ensure the longevity of your investment.

Read on for helpful tips and tricks!

1. Don’t Forget About Them!

The seamless transition of moving to solar panels might have you forgetting about them from time to time. While they’ll likely stand up to neglect just fine – you should aim to scope them out each month just to be safe.

In the event that you’ve had some intense weather move through, you might want to bump up the number of times that you check.

Snow will melt on its own and poses no threat to functionality, but things like downed branches and hail hold the potential to damage panels if they come down hard enough.

Tree debris may also cause scratching on your panels if left to be blown off by the wind.

Once the weather has cleared up, get ahead of the game by giving your setup a quick glance to see if any debris has accumulated.

2. To Clean or Not to Clean

When it comes to cleaning panels, most people find that the simpler the better.

Some panel owners opt to let the rain and snowmelt take care of the cleaning for them. Most of the time, this works just fine – especially if your panels are tilted, but you’ll want to give them a thorough cleaning once a year or so.

Rain and snow contain debris and chemical residue from the atmosphere that can leave a film on your panels over time – and if you live in a dry or desert climate, you’ll might find that outside of monsoon season, the dust accumulation is too much to rely totally on the rain to take care of.

There are a variety of cleaning solutions and products available, but many people are able to get their panels clean simply by using water from the hose.

If you have a typically troublesome spot or residue that won’t budge, you can dilute a bit of rubbing alcohol in water and use a glass safe cleaning cloth or squeegee to tackle the area.

Professional Products and Services

Most “specialty” products designed for solar panel cleaning are sold at a high price point and are no more effective than what you likely already have available at home.

Avoid anything abrasive – even minor scratches that are too small to be seen by the eye can reduce panel efficiency.

While cleaning products may not be worth it – professional cleaning services may be!

If you have rooftop-mounted panels and are concerned with safety or with using the correct materials, you may wish to consider it as an option.

Contact your installation company for a recommendation.

3. Monitor Your Energy Production

A decline in performance, especially when there has been nothing unusual with the weather, may point to an underlying issue. Monitoring your energy output is a great way to detect potential problems early on before they get worse.

If you’re using a Tesla Powerwall in conjunction with your panels, you can even monitor your production in real-time!

It’s rare to have issues with equipment when you’re working with a reputable company, but they do occur once in a blue moon even with proper maintenance.

If something seems off, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your installer. If there’s a legitimate issue, it is likely to be a simple fix that will have you at maximum energy production again in no time.

Curious about the results of those who have worked with us in the past? Look no further than the case study that we’ve put together! It documents the installation process step by step and provides unmatched insight into the level of savings that you can expect when you work with us. You can find it right here:

Contact us today to get started on your new solar system, or to service an existing system.