Solar Panel Cleaning in Contra Costa County

Ron and Chris have been cleaning glass professionally in Contra Costa County for over 40 years. As solar panels have become popular, it made perfect sense to extend our services to clean them as well. Since panels are covered with a glass surface, the process is the same. And we love to keep your investment working hard for you with all the efficiency that they were designed for. Your pocketbook and the planet will thank you for keeping your panels clean.

Your satisfaction is our top priority. If your panels aren't clean after our work, we'll come back and fix it. Guaranteed.

Solar Panel Cleaning

Solar panels get dirty faster than your windows because they are facing upward and they’re not protected by eaves the way your windows are. Dust, dirt and bird dropping accumulate quickly and can reduce the efficiency of your panels by up to 40%. Protect your investment in clean energy and save money with regular washing to keep your solar cells operating at peak performance.

Photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturers recommend regular cleaning. Most suggest they be cleaned once per year, but this can vary depending on your location. For example, if there is a lot of dust or pollen in the air, pollution, ash from nearby wildfires, birds that leave droppings, or trees that drop leaves or needles, you may require more frequent panel cleaning. We recommend that you have them cleaned in early summer after the rainy season and late fall after fire season has passed. Ask us to put you on a regular cleaning schedule so you can relax in the knowledge that your system is working efficiently all year.

Your pocketbook will benefit from clean solar panels and so will the environment. The savings on your energy bill will be seen right away. Because dirt and grime reduce your system's efficiency so much, you’re PG&E bills will drop, saving money on your next bill.

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Call or Text: (925) 788-5796

Worker with squeegee washing solar energy system

Is Your Solar System Producing Less Power?

Picture of attractive roof with energy efficient system

Common Reasons Solar Power Systems Produce Less Power:
If you closely follow your system’s monitor, you may be the first to notice when energy production suddenly drops. After years of saving money, a high energy bill will catch your attention. Of course, there are normal variables that can cause dips in energy production, like cloudy weather. And there are instances where your usage goes up, such as, particularly hot weather (or cold temperatures if you use electric heat). And sometimes it’s due to other factors. Many of these are quite easy to fix!

Pretty blue sky with roof solar energy system

Check the trends on your system’s monitoring app. Compare this month’s usage to other years. Is the energy output about the same? Do you notice less output over the years? Or is there a sudden change in performance that doesn’t correspond with changes in weather or seasons? For example, energy production will drop in the winter due to fewer daylight hours and the fact that the sun is lower in the sky.
You probably wouldn’t be surprised to learn that California has the most solar power systems in the US. We are known for having a lot of sunshine. So if there were more cloudy days than normal, you would experience a significant difference. Do an online search for 30-day weather trends in your city to determine how recent months fared.
Have you been using appliances more often, especially during the evening hours? If so, these could be causing a current draw that exceeds your normal usage. Evening hours also coincide with higher usage fees from PG&E, so this could be another cause for higher bills.
Do you use batteries to store your power? If so, it’s possible that the batteries don’t have enough capacity to meet your home’s needs. (Actually most battery systems are not intended to run an entire home, because of the expense of such a system. Instead, they’re designed to run only the most important things in your home, like refrigerator, freezer, etc.) Additionally, battery capacity does diminish over time, so that can lead to less energy available to you in your home. It may be worthwhile to have this checked if you believe your battery capacity is the culprit.

Picture of sun peaking over roof blue skies and clouds

If none of these things seems to be the cause of higher bills, there’s a good chance that your panels just need to be cleaned. Your panels are packed with many little photovoltaic cells (PV), which are protected by glass. Your panels may be covered with all sorts of debris, including dust, bird droppings, leaves, or ash from wildfires. This can significantly affect each PV’s performance. All that’s required is a good cleaning in that case. We’d like to help. We'll keep your panels clean and pristine and working optimally. Call us as needed or set up a regular schedule, if you prefer.
If all else fails and none of these situations seem to be the issue, there could be a malfunction in the system. It’s likely that you system is covered by warranty. You may need to call the solar company or the financing company to schedule troubleshooting and repairs. Even if your company no longer exists, often the manufacturer of the panels may still stand behind their hardware.