Who knew doing a little cleanup could be so lucrative?
A resourceful homeowner shared a success story with some photos to the r/solar subreddit after tidying up their three-year-old panels. They said they were seeing "around 5%" more power being produced.
Naturally, some Redditors were impressed and wanted to know more.
One asked: "What'd you use to clean them?"
"Just some car wash and wax and a long extension brush with integrated hose," the OP replied.
The saga was an inspiration for any homeowners with solar. Putting in solar panels is one of the easiest hacks to save on energy bills and help the planet through generating your own clean energy.
Another way to optimize on the front-end is to get the best solar installation estimates and quotes, which is where EnergySage's free tools come in.
Homeowners with panels wanted to know even more. The OP didn't reveal all their secrets like the exact brush, which commenters requested, as of publish time for this article.
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There was a spirited debate after a purported "professional solar guy" cautioned Redditors about cleaning with hard water.
A user countered: "Let me get this straight 140 mph winds ok, 1 inch hail ok, walk on them sure... Brush and water bad?"
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What's the biggest concern you'd have about getting solar panels? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
The cost 💰 In general, some brushes could damage the panels if made of a harder material, and it's true that hard water can lead to limescale deposits that may undo some of your cleaning effort, as explained by the Solar Panel Cleaning Channel on YouTube. In any case, the back-and-forth brings into focus that having a reputable installer who can provide consultation about your specific panels is valuable.
EnergySage can aid in getting the best price from trusted companies — the average person can save up to $10,000 on their panels with its help. Moreover, its helpful mapping tool can guide homeowners on a state-by-state level to find the average prices of panels and all potential incentives.
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Buying solar panels might be out of budget for some homeowners, which might mean leasing is a good alternative. Palmetto's LightReach program allows homeowners to access the benefits of solar for as low as no money down while locking down low energy rates.
One more way to max out your panels is by pairing them with efficient electric appliances including heat pumps. Mitsubishi can aid homeowners in matching with the right installer for their home and budget.
There was further discussion on the OP's cleanup.
One poster said they'd been scolded by some posters after starting a thread on their own cleanup.
"Everything still works great, so do what you want with this information," they concluded.
"That is about the bump back up I get when I rinse mine off," another user shared.
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