That time a solar installer told me I didn't need to clean my panels at all

Guy from a local company in Phoenix said rain would wash them off and I was wasting money on cleaning. After two years without a wash, my electricity output dropped by nearly 15% according to my monitoring app. I finally climbed up there with a hose and squeegee and got back to normal. Anyone else get bad advice from pros who should know better?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_anna1d ago

Phoenix rain just bakes dust into the glass... that's a whole different thing than washing it off. Had the same issue with my Tucson setup, lost about 12% before I bought a cheap foam cannon. Three months of monsoon season and my panels were still dusty because the rain evaporates too fast to actually rinse them. That installer either never cleaned his own panels or just wanted to avoid the liability of roof work.

nathanbennett1d ago

Wait, @the_anna said the rain evaporates too fast in Tucson to even rinse them? That's wild. I'm in a humid area where it actually rains, and I still have to clean mine twice a year. Tbh that Phoenix installer was just wrong.