Minium Price for Cleaning Solar Panels?

I have been reading on how every body are cleaning solar panels.
So it seems as though it’s been worked out how to clean them.
When using a WFP to clean the panels, there is setting up and other things to do before you even start.
Do you think there should be a minium price on cleaning solar panels?
What price would you start at and why?
Then what would you price the rest of the panels?
Would you take into account how high they are up and price on that as well?
Is there any other things you should that in to consideration?

I started out offering the service and promoting it… and its a tough market because most solar panels are onesies and twosies. It’s not as difficult as cleaning a window but, at the same time it means walking around on a roof (most of the times). What I think you should take into consideration is: How much money could you be making doing regular window cleaning when you get called out to clean 2 solar panels 20 miles away.

Eventually I dropped the service from my business card and bought a pressure washer. Pressure washing is a much easier sell. I’m not saying that the market isnt there though. There are people who have very successful solar panel cleaning business’. One of the reasons I stopped promoting it is because there is another vet out there who has a solar panel cleaning biz and he actually does inspections and has been in the solar industry for over 8 years. Maybe you could add value to your service by offering some inspection or something.

I’m sure you have a minimum for residential window cleaning right? Well for me it cost $125 for me to start my engine. I would charge $125 if all they wanted was solar panel cleaning. If they wanted window cleaning and solar panel cleaning I would charge like $20 a panel depending on how high they are. Make sure you do A LOT OF RESEARCH on the subject and give your customer every reason why they SHOULD get theyre panels cleaned. Know the difference on all the systems and be able to talk the talk, because otherwise you will not have much to fall back on.

man, your doin it!

the average home has what? 25 panels

you would charge $500 for that

Thats about $1000 an hour…

You should charge what you think it is worth to the customer to get them cleaned. We have a minimum of $149 to show up and clean windows. You could talk about how DI water is much safer to clean the panels, wont scratch like a squeegee could if someone were to slip on the roof or something. No soap residue blah, blah, if a house had a few panels I would be in the $30-$40 per panel, unless they have tons of them, then I might go a bit less. Solar panel cleaning is a specialized service and those things aren’t cheap. DI water is not something homeowners have on hand.

30-40 even better :slight_smile:

$75 mini within a 20 mile radius I add $20 each additional 10 miles. $2 to $3 dollars per panel seems normal. The solar panels are put up in grids each panel from what I have been doing is about 2.5 ft or 2 ft wide x 4 ft tall . water fed pole is really the best and more importantly the fastest way to do them.

I fell last summer while on a roof. I am not cleaning anything for $2-$3 per panel if I can fall. My medical bill was $10,000.

20 dollars per panel, so a 90 panel array would cost 1800? We clean alot of solar panels and I can promise you would not get any clients at 20 per panel, maybe a small array but in that case you have a minimum fee. We charge to go on the roof first off. We have a roof fee for one story, two story and so on, a flat roof is billed like going onto a one story. Then we charge a price per panel. The cleaning needs to be cost effective for the customer in order for it to even make sense. Dirty panels will lose up to 30 percent so the math need to make sense

does anyone have any links to facts/reports/studies that support that, besides the google study?

I’m still waiting on data from a few residential (up to 72 panels) and commercial (252 panels) customers.

that would be nice to hear if/when you get that Larry.

I have been keeping track and most of my customers are getting an 18% spike in production after the panels are cleaned, these are customers that have been 6 months to a year without cleaning. The biggest spike so far was 21% Solar panel cleaning is a crucial service and is recommended by the installation companies on a 6 month basis. My friend owns one of the local installation companies and subs us all of the cleaning work at 80 percent:) Some of the companies do all the cleaning themselves and they do so by absorbing the energy credit.

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Thanks for that Mark

enough to make it profitable

I started my business cleaning solar panels only. In my area in central California I am right at market with $1.50 for ground mount, $2.00 for comp roof and $2.50 for tile roofs. These numbers earn me between $80-$100 an hour while at job site. I have a minimum $75 for ground mounts and single story roofs and $125 minimum for two story. Southern California is getting better prices than I am.

Use solar panel cleaning as " one" of your services offered. In my neck of the woods, millionaires would rather pay for you to clean their window but take the garden hose to their solar panels.

Just like window cleaning time is money. Have all your hose on reels so nothing leaves your vehicle but your feed and supply hose , ladder And wfp.

Good luck

Before and afters









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Also a marketing tip. …

Find your local solar panel installers and offer them a highly discounted rate to have you give their clients their first two cleans. They can give it to their customers as a " thank you" and after the first two cleaning who are they going to call… You. Because you have that fancy water system that won’t leave hard water spots like their garden hose will.

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I want to start a solar washing business can anyone tell me what are the price ranges and what type of products can be used.

I’m starting a company and I have a specific city in mind. reason all their solar panels are dirty and I mean all of them. every location that has solar panels In that city has at least 60 -70 solar panels how much should I charge to service them.

here in Sacramento they charge 3 dollars a panel for single story and 4 dollars a panel for two story. Robert also installs and does electrical work. He told me you do it in the morning or evening, water, soap, soft brush rinse and squeegee. The Windex on the end of your hose works too.