How Solar Panels Are Professionally Cleaned
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- When solar panels are dirty, their efficiency can be reduced by up to 42%. Marcos Delgado is the owner of South Bay Solar Cleaning. His process involves inspecting the panels as well as the area underneath them and cleaning them with a specialized water-fed brush. He uses only deionized water, which soaks up dirt and prevents streaks.
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How Solar Panels Are Professionally Cleaned
Why the nasty comments? If you want to clean them yourself, do it. But some people don’t have the time nor inclination to do it. People have Detailers clean their cars, Maids clean their houses, Landscapers to mow their lawns, etc.
It’s the going thing to be nasty unfortunately.
Who knew that this would make such a good business...
Was thinking the same thing
Marcus Delgado
I'm here thinking that I already know the ins and outs of car detailing, and this is basically half as easy lol
@@_LEONKING_ Except for the height and inclined surface that may not have full support... Also, what about clearing the snow in winter...
@@johnwang9914 not issues at all, I've worked on construction/flipping and AC installation before and with time it becomes easy to handle heights and rough areas.
Oh, okay? I'm amazed. Never would have guessed. That whole soapy water and scrubbing thing could also work on windows, cars, dishes, everything!
No soap it’s bad for the panels
why are people being negative against small businesses Americans? If an owner has disability, too old to go up there, no time, no tools, etc. whatever their situation is, it's their money. These people are good hardworking AMERICANS who specializes and tools for solar cleaning.
It looks so satisfying..
This is so satisfying. Especially when they put the camera on the roof close up.
People can't even change a lightbulb by themselves 😂😂
well, that's satisfying
What is the best time to clean them? If it's 100 degrees and sunny won't that hurt the glass on the panels putting cold water on them?
This is correct. Do not use cold water on solar panels when it’s 100 degrees . You will shatter the glass. Early in the morning would be the best time for sure.
Yeah ! So Satisfying
BGM is good and work is too good
I'm looking at this thinking 🤔
If I can climb to the roof and it's not a risk of falling... It's a $12 extension soft broom with water a tiny bit of soap and hose it all off 🙄
It's ALMOST like cleaning bathroom glass with a squeegee...
Man I'm in the wrong business if they are making $$ doing this for a living!
How is this on art insider?
The art of solar cleaning
Easy cheap and good money
It's exactly the kind of operations that are absolutely necessary and can negate the ecological benefit of using rooftop solar panels, if not done properly.
All of it takes energy. The guy probably used his car to go to that house, plus the products he uses. It might be an issue if it's a dusty environment and they have to repeat it several times a year. Less so, if the cleaner optimizes his movements and cleans all the panels in the vicinity during the same day.
Modern panels are much better than 20 years ago. It is now recognized that it takes only a few years to cover the energy cost of the fabrication. But it is theoretical. Maintenance isn't properly accounted for, nor the delivery and installation costs in remote areas, not disposal, because those costs vary tremendously depending on the location and the number of panels.
It's very easy to miss hidden costs.
That's why they shouldn't subsidize renewable energies, nor any kind of energy. It falsifies all the economic calculation. It's just an approximation, of course, but considering that there are fossil fuels involved in all the steps of the life cycle of the object, it is safe to assume that if it is not economically viable, it is probably not ecologically relevant either.
The price system is the only way to make sure that nothing is missed in the calculation, from the very first miner who extract the raw materials to the very least cleaner. Price works, because, if at any point someone finds that the cost is too high and the operation doesn't make sense, he will refuse to do the job, or find a way to reduce the cost.
Deionized means no ions, but yet they mention negatively charged water? And these panels are exposed to rain water day in and out, so seems like deionized water would be a waste.
But other than that, props to him! Seems like a tough job under the hot sun.
Its just better for cleaning. As a window cleaner I use the same system, it's just the standard water purifying system. Tap water gets rated as PPM (parts per million), depending on where you live depends how high that number is and indicates how hard the water is...non water particles to water particles. So he'll put tap water through a sediment filter, them a carbon filter, deionizer then a reverse osmosis filter bringing the PPM down to zero. So no streaks or spotting on the panels or windows. Also the deionized water technically attacks dirt and helps draw it off the surface...very boring I know!
The manufacturer of our solar panels recommended that we give our solar panels a clean every several months with a soft bristled broom and soapy water. Easy
Never use detergents on your panels. That will cause permanent damage
@@blackbusinessdirectory8952 I certainly wouldn’t be squirting dishwashing detergent over the panel, but I put it in the bucket with water then you say soft brush pole to clean the panels,. Rinse with a hose when I’m finished.. I’m guessing that’s preferable to having a heavy layer of dust accumulate on the panels which will tend to get stuck the longer remains. The panels have been up for 14 years, and no discernible degradation.
@@chrisnewman7281 I hear you 👍
Onde compro este equipamento no Brasil
i wouldn't worry so much about damaging the panels with the brush. Some of these newer panels are less fragile and can take a beating
you're absolutely correct. Panels are now made tough enough to where you can stand on them, but I dint recommend or do it myself.
Generally speaking, anything that takes a beating will wear out sooner than something that does not.
Cool
I’m gunna start my own business doing this
Workers should wear safety harnesses.
Do home depot have this
What about scratches that you made with brush?
No scratches bud
at present , they use the drone or robot for cleaning solar panel
Walking on roofing composition shingles is a good way to ruin them. Walking on tile roofing is never recommended. If you have somebody use this method, get it in writing that they will fix all leaks caused by walking on the roof. You won't get any takers.
Most businesses that require work on a roof(mine included) have it in writing already that they are NOT responsible for roof leaks due to damage. It's always a risk for both worker and homeowner - not to mention, there is a right way and a wrong way to walk on roof tiles
I have never tought that this is with water and a brush.. wow! 🤓
I think the unprofessional way is to pee over it….
Actually... not to brag or anything, but you're correct. Doing it the "unprofessional way" I've found to result in some crystallization, this causes refraction of the sunlight increasing the solar panel's effectiveness! For small fee we can do yours!
What licenses do you need to start a solar panel company in California do you need a contractors license?
Its Cali so u need an arm and a leg in taxed
So cool wished I had this brush head lol
Thank you for the video report .
Very good method.
Try using a good application of Rain-X Rain/Water Repellent, dirt and bird crap wash off with the lightest of water.
Rain-X will make the solar panels a lot more shiny, causing more sun light to be reflected away rather than absorbed. This is why you shouldn’t use any car wash or detergents as well as detergents leaving a film and attracting more debris.
That’s a very good method, where can I buy that broom/hose? Is it for sale?
Is it bad to pressure wash solar panels?
Not recommended to use a pressure washer. You have a really good chance of damaging your panels with high pressure.
So I can't just use my water hose my neighbor wants me to clean hers I have brush but not like that one
Is that a hard brush or soft brush ????
After cleaning panels dust wave is formed
How much does it cost to clean one section of solar panel?
Mine service came prebundled from the installer for 5 years
Were I can buy those things to clean my system
What about flat panels, that's not enough water flow to get the dirt off the flat panels
I thought solar panels are maintenance free for years to come. Now that I see this, time to build automatic solar panel cleaners.
That doesn't work buddy trust me.
@@purplegold714 you mean the automatic solar panel cleaner idea? If yes then why not?
Here in SoCal we rarely get any rain and panels do need to be cleaned for optimal energy production. In areas where there is frequent rain fall I'm sure the panels stay fairly clean and maintenance free but not here in San Diego or SoCal.
What kind of dionizer to you guys use? Trying to set this up in canada!
How do you charge
Save Our Planet
What type of detergent can be used?
Liquid soap?
Like the one that we wash our hands with?
No detergents. Pure DI water. Any detergents used will start to leave a residue build up and also attracts pollutants in the air easily.
can you link the tools you use top clean?
It's cool, amazing and very satisfying but it's not art
@Lagertha Bass cool thanks don't talk to me again
The art of solar cleaning
I want to buy ur cleaning brush and system, can u send me a link. Where I can buy
In my experience the solar panels have a brown stain that will not come off with this method. That is just dust on solar panels not what happens in real life at all
So this is art. If so i have some ocean front property for sell in Arizona.
the art of solar cleaning lol
A 3 minute video to show "big brush and water make solar panel clean" 🙄
What do you expect ? They slide on it ?
Right if they keep this up i may have to leave lol
There is a buisness there simple and straight forward and the good thing is you can have clients who want there planels cleaned every 3 months
@@rawrrr360 lol
@@rawrrr360 lol
Good wark
Lavoro in Italia non a norma. In Italia c'è l'obbligo di legarsi alla "linea vita". Lavorare senza cintura di sicurezza è pericoloso per le cadute e incidenti sul lavoro
Excellent 😀
I always thought mounting a water tank, pump and sprayer in a drone would help wash the solar panels, mounting a leaf blower might help clear snow. Of course, the drone software would have to compensate for the unwanted thrust. There are those window washing robots that use a vacuum to hold themselves to a window, someone should make a housing for one that can be attached to the solar panels, mind you it still would have to be brought down to changes the washing pads, maybe the entire housing could be removed and replaced by drone. Maybe they should just put window wipers on the solar panels.
A skilled pilot can compensate for the thrust issue. Window wipers are not expensive enough for solar panels. You'd need to rebadge as solar panel wipers to increase the price... and also change to "vipers" for extra bite. Thank me later :)
@@mikesalive Except that the modern drones are only stable due to computers controlling the stability of the craft with minimal input from the operator. Before the revelation of semi-auronomous drones by the military, the market was restricted to hobbyists building remote controlled helicopters without computer control and they were notoriously difficult to operate. Perhaps the operator could compensate but most of modern drone stability are from the software not the operator.
@@johnwang9914 I was just joking around. I've had a bunch of drones but never an old skool chopper :)
😂 you still waiting for Santa too?!?
Bro copy and pasted the Playstation user agreement. I ain't reading all of that💀
Where can I buy this telescopic brush ?
You can buy telescoping painters poles, they fit on most broom heads
Why can’t these solar panels be equipped with something like windshield spray plus wipers?
1- would you pay extra for that?
2- would you go to the top of the roof regularly and refill the water tank?
3- Would you pay even more to have someone connect a water pipe to the system so that you don't need to go up there?
4- how would you know the wipers are used and need replacement?
5- would you go up there and change it?
6- Would you be interested in doing that far more often than you change your cars wipers because the panels get very hot and that will ruin the rubber?
7- Will you pay extra for a system that will fail eventually and when it does, it will ruin your panels?
8- if you do say yes to all of the above, how will you be able to tell that there is not anything on the panels that can scratch it, before you turn the system on, as you can't see it as you do on your windscreen?
@@TheAllMightyGodofCod Houses already have cameras all over them these days.
@@mikesalive maybe your does but let me ask you, what does that have to do with anything I said?!?!?!
You asked how to tell if there is anything on the panels. I suggest cameras.
@@mikesalive no One has cameras on a rooftop pointed at the roof tiles.....
Just don't tell OSHA, on a roof with no fall protection, not smart.
Only for the making of this video. Areas of work were inspected for any tripping hazards etc. prior to cleaning and yes being on the roof is a hazard.
I used to work as a roofer. Did it for about a year and a half. I think I used a harness once. The roof is nowhere near steep enough to necessitate the use of a harness.
@Christopher Crawford in your opinion maybe, but not in the eyes of OSHA.
@@SteveV2023 OSHA can be overkill. Just use your brain.
👍🏻
How can we get it done
How much does he charge to clean the panels though?
In SoCal electrical bills are extremely high 60% higher than the national average. Minimum charge is about $200-$259. When the average electric bill a year is around $3500-$4500 and extremely reducing your energy bill with solar, paying to keep your investment performing at peak potential 1-2 times a year is a no brainer. Most people will spend around $100 for car washes a month on a new car which gives no investment what so ever. Maintenance for your solar investment is a long term investment.
I give it to the company that was in the video
We're they from souther California
How much the cleaner kit.
V good
I would never suggest walking on a roof clay tiles. They can break real easily
Professionally Cleaned? Lol
Why is the dude not wearing a harness?
Only for the making of this video.
¿Profesional? ¿Y el arnés de seguridad?
😲
Rate ?
Most people wont climb on a roof to clean most people wont even go outside to cut a yard good business idea
Why we can't add glass wipers on these?
I thought scrubbing is bad for the panels?
No soap just alcohol?
No scraping due to protective film
It's not worth it to clean them. My panels kick out alot of energy even when they are brown with dust they work very well
Trust me they need to be cleaned. The sales person lied to you telling you that the rain would clean them.
I had same idea. I had lot dust on them, cleanen it ferfectly and wattage dont rise.
@@jaroslavcecho3348 sounds to me you might be having other problems.
We have had customers report having up to a little over 40% efficiency gain after cleaning their panels for the first time. Remember that the geographical location of the solar panels play a big roll in production and how often they should be cleaned. Here in SoCal we get the least amount of rain fall than anywhere in the nation so the panels will build up grime. Same as a really dirty windshield, it's hard to look through and hard for the photons from the sun tp penetrate.
@@jaroslavcecho3348 you may have other issues with your panels.
Uses "RODI" water
I wouldn't hire you at allllll, reason...no protection fall gear...nexttttt
Could also add a layer of cermic coat
Électricien.....
My dog just shit on the floor.
This seems like such a scam. The difference in production from the before to after is negligible. The energy is produced in radiant energy that penetrates minimal dust and dirt, the "juice isn't worth the squeeze." Talking from experience having washed my solar panels and looked at the before and after data from the systems ECU. I think it showd a 5% increase in production that lasted about 24-48 hours and returned to pre-clean levels quickly due to normal dust accumulation. That translates into about 50 cents on a 12.5 KW system like mine. I bet they charge a lot more than 50 cents to do that job, plus the extra wear and tear on your roof that can shorten it's life.
Hi Kevin,
I’m the owner of South Bay Solar Cleaning. I Haven’t read any of these comments in a long long time. As much as we are told Solar panels are maintenance free, that is not the case…at least in Southern California. We get the least amount of rain fall than anywhere in the nation. The number 1 calls we get daily are from customers solar systems under performing by 30-45% than normal. It all varies depending on geographical location. We find issues with lichen build up to salt build up near the beaches and heavy debris, pollen, overspray, tree sap etc. stuck on the panels. We have had a few customers warranty voided and paid out of pocket to replace panels due to not following manufacturer’s instructions on maintenance and cleaning. So depending on your geographical location this may not be a service that’s needed as much. In SoCal it’s an essential service for sure. There’s a lot more to just cleaning Solar panels, we deal with pigeon infestations underneath the panels too. You can check out our work on our CZcams channel South Bay Solar Cleaning. Remember, there isn’t anything that is maintenance free. I hope you have a better understanding of what we’re doing and why this type of business is strongly thriving especially in the commercial solar cleaning sector, we have some commercial cleaning videos on our CZcams channel as well. Wishing you the best and have a great rest of the year🙌.
@@marcos619824 Marcos, is there ever a problem with applying cold water to sun hot panels in the noon sun? I'd be worried about cracking or breakage from the sudden temperature difference. Thanks!
Sun God the impartial Donor, photo voltaic cell, the ability of Human Brain,
also maintaining the Ecological balance.
🙏🙏👌👍
@@mikesalive true Sir, we have to pay for each comfort, that we take from Nature.👍
Why should there be seperate panels ? Rather the entire roof can become a solar panel.
Checkout “South Bay Solar Cleaning” CZcams channel. They’re a Solar Cleaning company from San Diego, CA and they specialize in Tesla Solar Roof Cleaning.
Solar roofs are way less effective and way more expensive, makes absolutely no sense to use them. Getting a good normal roof + solar panels is better
@@KownKR7 Less effective? How?
@@mikesalive Because they are just less efficient, as easy as that. If you would cover the same area with normal solar modules and with a solar roof, the modules would have higher watt peak and thus more production
Such a wonderful failure system
If u want to clean properly just use mug
And by next week its filthy again
The most important part of our service is to remove the thick layer of grime and debris that starts to bake onto the glass and build up over time. A thin layer of dust may not cause much of a decrease in production but over time the panels gather much more than just dust. Geographical location plays a big roll on how dirty and how often your panels may need to be cleaned. Here in SoCal we rarely get any rain fall.
@@southbaysolarcleaning4348 lol shut up about the rainfall already - yea we know socal doesn't get any rainfall
There's nothing professional here, where's his safety harness and I bet he didn't even do a risk assessment before starting the job.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I could do this myself for FREE.
True, but you'd be better off doing your main gig earning 500 an hour and pay this guy 85.
Yay second comment and top 3 likes
Such a waste of labour, why pay for this when go just grab the scrubber, water and DIY. go use elsewhere
What a waste of money
Why is it a waste of money?
@@purplegold714 its water and a brush, anyone can do it, no need for 'professionals'
@@ancientferret Actually,you need DI or RO tanks to clean the solar panels for a spotless free rinse, and it's not as easy as it looks. Plus if you're the home owner and you clean your own panels you void the warranty on the solar panels.
@@purplegold714Yeah I saw the video. Dude its literally just water and a brush, don't underestimate yourself. The fact you have to pay for solar panel cleaning is already an absurdity on its own.
@@ancientferret I have business doing solar cleaning so I know what I'm talking about lol
These dont save money in any sense unless youre a pc gamer