Solar Panel Cleaning Adelaide
We clean solar panels at homes and businesses across Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and the Barossa, using a soft brush and pure water, with no pressure washers and no harsh chemicals. We also tell you honestly whether a clean is worth paying for, because for a lot of homes it isn't. If your panels are visibly dirty, marked by bird droppings, or producing less than they should, it usually is. Arthur, the owner, answers most calls himself and can talk through your system and give you an approximate price over the phone.
When a clean is worth it
A clean pays off when something is sitting on the panels that rain won't shift: bird droppings, lichen, sap, or the film of dust left after a dust storm and a long dry spell. Panels lying flat, or at a very low angle, hold water and grime instead of shedding it, so they need cleaning more often. And if your monitoring app shows a sudden drop in output, dirt is worth ruling out.
When it probably isn't
Most panels on a tilted roof get washed by rain often enough that cleaning adds only a small gain, and at that size a professional clean can cost more than the extra power is worth. If yours look reasonably clean from the ground and your output is normal, we'll tell you to leave them for now.
How we clean solar panels
We look at the panels first: how they're mounted, how steeply they tilt, what's on them, and whether anything looks cracked or loose. We clean with a soft brush and pure water, which dries without mineral spots, and we work early or late in the day where we can, because cold water on hot glass can cause thermal shock and, rarely, crack a panel.
We don't use pressure washers. The force can damage the glass coating, the seals around the frame or the wiring underneath. We also avoid harsh chemicals and abrasive tools that can scratch the glass. Where the panels can be reached safely from the ground with a pole, we clean them that way. Where they can't, we tell you what access we'd need before we quote. We don't do electrical work, so if we spot cracked panels or loose wiring, we point it out for you to take up with your installer.
What Adelaide does to solar panels
Adelaide is Australia's driest capital, so rain does less of the cleaning here than in most cities. Summer dust storms and long dry spells leave a film that can sit for months, salt spray adds to it near the coast, and under trees, sap, leaf litter and pollen collect along the lower edge of each panel. Bird droppings cover part of a panel and block the light to those cells, and ordinary rain often won't shift them.
Tap water isn't a good fix. Adelaide's water is moderately hard, so it leaves mineral spots as it dries, which is why we clean with pure water.
How to tell if your panels need cleaning
Look at your panels from the ground after a dry spell, especially the lower edges where dirt collects. Then check your monitoring app and compare output on sunny days over the past few weeks with the same weeks last year. Compare like with like, because a hot day and a mild day aren't the same. Freshly cleaned panels also run cooler, and that cooling can make the improvement look bigger than it really is.
If you're not sure, describe what you're seeing when you call and we'll say whether a clean is likely to help.
Homes, businesses and larger arrays
Most of our solar work is on house roofs, from a handful of panels on a single-storey home to a full array on a two-storey one. We also clean panels on sheds, carports and commercial roofs, and we can add window cleaning to the same visit.
Price and booking
Price depends mainly on how many panels there are, how many storeys the house has, how they're mounted, and how dirty they are. Tell us how many panels you have and whether the house is one or two storeys, and we'll give you an approximate price straight away, then confirm it once we've seen the system, before any work starts.
Frequently asked questions
How much does solar panel cleaning cost in Adelaide?
It depends on how many panels there are, how many storeys the house has, how they're mounted and how dirty they are. Tell us how many panels you have and we'll give you an approximate price straight away, then confirm it once we've seen the system.
Is solar panel cleaning worth it?
Sometimes. If the panels are grimy or covered in droppings, yes. If they're reasonably clean and your output is normal, usually not yet, and we'll tell you that.
How often should solar panels be cleaned?
Once or twice a year suits most households. In dusty, coastal or high-pollen areas, every three to six months is more realistic. Flat panels need it more often than tilted ones.
Will cleaning void my warranty?
Not if it's done gently. We use a soft brush and pure water, with no pressure washers or harsh chemicals. Every manufacturer has its own rules, so check your panel manual, and call us if you're unsure.
Do you go on the roof?
Where we can, we clean from the ground with a pole. Where a system can only be reached from the roof, we tell you before we quote what access we'd need and whether it's a job we can do safely.
Do panels clean themselves when it rains?
Partly. Rain shifts loose dust from tilted panels, but it doesn't reliably remove bird droppings, sap or a dried dust film, and flat panels hold water and grime.
Can you remove bird droppings and lichen?
Fresh bird droppings usually soak off with water and a soft brush. Lichen and old, dried-on buildup take more time, and we'll say what's realistic before we start.