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UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: SB Cleaning on March 01, 2012, 08:08:58 pm

Title: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: SB Cleaning on March 01, 2012, 08:08:58 pm
Do many of you do them?

Several of my custys have had them put up lately and everywhere i seem to be i see them going up on other houses.

Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 01, 2012, 08:11:21 pm
I have been doing some for last 2 yrs. No problem, just treat them like normal windows.
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: SB Cleaning on March 01, 2012, 08:15:01 pm
I have been doing some for last 2 yrs. No problem, just treat them like normal windows.
How often do you find they need cleaning rg?

What sort of price do you charge a panel?
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 01, 2012, 08:23:05 pm
I do them at same interval as windows cos they lie almost flat on a roof they need frequent cleaning. Well thats what I tell the customer ;)

As for price, depends on the size of the panel and what part of the country you live in, much the same as windows. One of my customers has 4, 6'x2' panels, I clean them monthly for £25.
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: SB Cleaning on March 01, 2012, 08:29:19 pm
I do them at same interval as windows cos they lie almost flat on a roof they need frequent cleaning. Well thats what I tell the customer ;)

As for price, depends on the size of the panel and what part of the country you live in, much the same as windows. One of my customers has 4, 6'x2' panels, I clean them monthly for £25.
Thanks for the reply mate, i think I'm gonna start pushing this a bit :)
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 01, 2012, 08:37:08 pm
Yeh, go for it! Every little helps as they say
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: deeege on March 01, 2012, 08:39:06 pm
I do them at same interval as windows cos they lie almost flat on a roof they need frequent cleaning. Well thats what I tell the customer ;)

As for price, depends on the size of the panel and what part of the country you live in, much the same as windows. One of my customers has 4, 6'x2' panels, I clean them monthly for £25.

£300 per year  :o

That must be a good percentage of the annual electricity savings to clean the panels.
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 01, 2012, 08:40:47 pm
I do them at same interval as windows cos they lie almost flat on a roof they need frequent cleaning. Well thats what I tell the customer ;)

As for price, depends on the size of the panel and what part of the country you live in, much the same as windows. One of my customers has 4, 6'x2' panels, I clean them monthly for £25.

£300 per year  :o

That must be a good percentage of the annual electricity savings to clean the panels.

Not my concern, I'm only doing what the customer has asked me to do :)
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: deeege on March 01, 2012, 08:42:33 pm
Wasn't knocking you, sorry if it came across that way.

Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: firefly123 on March 01, 2012, 08:42:40 pm
some ware i did  see a topic  that  says if you are not carefull the panels are thin and you could damage themi have some on a roof i do there 35 feet up roof with weight of pole and brush on them wondering if i could damage them here expense to replace to hmm :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 01, 2012, 08:49:16 pm
Wasn't knocking you, sorry if it came across that way.



No problem :)
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 01, 2012, 08:55:31 pm
some ware i did  see a topic  that  says if you are not carefull the panels are thin and you could damage themi have some on a roof i do there 35 feet up roof with weight of pole and brush on them wondering if i could damage them here expense to replace to hmm :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

Solar panels are made up of several layers and the top layer I believe is a thin silicone layer. But when cleaning them, you dont need to scrub, just plenty of water to agitate the dirt.
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: mark m on March 01, 2012, 10:12:58 pm
http://www.windowcleaningservices.org.uk/html/solarpanelcleaning.html

This comes from my site ,hope it helps
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: SB Cleaning on March 01, 2012, 10:20:10 pm
http://www.windowcleaningservices.org.uk/html/solarpanelcleaning.html

This comes from my site ,hope it helps
Any chance i can use that wording on my website Mark?
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: jouk45 on March 02, 2012, 02:17:33 am
just clean wfp as you would  normaly, dont listen to all the rubbish you hear, i clean them all the time, solar panels are very hard wearing, and 100% waterproof,  and built to last any weather conditions out there, the big commercial companys out their, want you to think they are a specialised clean, and only they can do them, they specify only clean only on  certain months of the year, if you all believe that, then you are lossing out, wake up guys, its F%&*%g GLASS,  and self cleaning, if that is the case why have i got so much work cleaning them????
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 02, 2012, 11:38:03 am
As far as I am aware, solar panels generate electricity in winter months although maybe not as much as in the summer, therefore, they need cleaning all year round.

Maybe more so in the winter.
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: dazmond on March 02, 2012, 12:21:50 pm
what length poles do you use for them?ive got a few customers with solar panels but my 25ft SLX wont reach them!!im thinking of ordering a 35ft SLX for these jobs.also i picked up a commercial job yesterday and my 25footer wouldnt reach the skylights either!! :-\ :-\
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: rg1 on March 02, 2012, 01:32:41 pm
what length poles do you use for them?ive got a few customers with solar panels but my 25ft SLX wont reach them!!im thinking of ordering a 35ft SLX for these jobs.also i picked up a commercial job yesterday and my 25footer wouldnt reach the skylights either!! :-\ :-\

Fortunately the ones I do are on bungalows so no problems with the 25 slx
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: SB Cleaning on March 03, 2012, 09:18:29 am
what length poles do you use for them?ive got a few customers with solar panels but my 25ft SLX wont reach them!!im thinking of ordering a 35ft SLX for these jobs.also i picked up a commercial job yesterday and my 25footer wouldnt reach the skylights either!! :-\ :-\
I would be interested in what length pole would reach, not sure if a 35ft would be long enough :-\

Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: spongebob on March 03, 2012, 02:20:28 pm
what length poles do you use for them?ive got a few customers with solar panels but my 25ft SLX wont reach them!!im thinking of ordering a 35ft SLX for these jobs.also i picked up a commercial job yesterday and my 25footer wouldnt reach the skylights either!! :-\ :-\
I would be interested in what length pole would reach, not sure if a 35ft would be long enough :-\



I have a large velux on my house similar to a single solar panel. House is normal height and roof pitch. i struggle with a 36ft pole.
Would say you need a 40ft and a gooseneck to avoid the pole rattling against the panel on the bottom edge .
Title: Re: Solar panel cleaning?
Post by: Bryan_Dolby on March 03, 2012, 03:18:13 pm
Dont forget to tell your insurance company what you are doing

Just to be on the safe side

Bryan