Keep the comments coming, I’m interested too.
Looking at [I]their[/I] catalog the other day saw this boost-something and I think this is a nice niche, kind of untouched yet.
I agree Tony, but I was looking for a more elaborate point of view, I think that it should be a simple and straight forward job, but trying to look at it from a how-to-market-it angle. Hopefully you’ll understand my point.
We have done alot of solar panel cleaning jobs, big and small.
They are pretty simple and easy. They are very durable and tough. Just dont walk on them.
As far as pricing, make it worth while charge what you want, this is a new service there is no standard for. I try and get $120 per hour when i clean solar panels. People place different values on different things, find people that place a high value on cleaning their solar panels.
So can you simply clean the solar panels with your solution like you would a window ant then squeegee it. Seems like you could if it was the glass kind, and what about the kind that’s a rolled out matte looking thing?
Thanks Tony. It is smart stuff when you use quotes from articles that are from a reliable source, such as NASA, let your flier readers know where you got your information. For instance, if you started your flier with the top 5 reasons why they should get their panels cleaned, end it with … NASA “Spirit Gets Energy Boost from Cleaner Solar panels” (www.nasa.gov) Some potential customers may look up the article to read the full story, many will not, regardless, most will be thinking, “If Nasa thinks it’s important, then it must be important and the smart thing for me to do!”
Anyone who can share as to how to go about cleaning the solar panels. I know they have the glass kind and the kind that rolls out. Has anyone cleaned solar panels before and if so what did you do?
Well Jonathan, I think you are onto something good here with possibly some great potential for a market that is not widely utilized. If you are researching, you will see that they are marketing an automatic washing system, which simply looks like water sprinklers attached to the roof. If this is not done at the time of installation, it no doubt is an expensive add on.
I would think that part of a great solar panel cleaning service would first, be able to inspect them. From what I have read, Solar panel failure is most often caused by water damage to the panel, sealant, or connections. I suppose the sealant can dry out and crack over time, causing water to damage the panels and connections. If such is the case, I would be concerned about water cleaning them. But … this also brings a good reason why they should be inspected and serviced routinely, especially if they do have the automated sprinker system. They can be damaged by the rain too if the panels and connections are not sealed well. Yesterday I found a solar cleaning service here in CA that advertises that they will inspect and clean. They submit an inspection report with the service. I guess if they find anything that needs attention, such as loose connections, etc., the home owner can then call for solar repairs.
Keep me posted on how your research goes, your onto something!
Pretty small test sample @ 186. It’s regional too. I live in the “dirty area” we see a higher gain after cleaning than most of Cali. It’s also what the market demands…if people want to pay $ to have their investment clean and shiny, they do, just like windows, do they get their money back from cleaning windows? It’s almost as if the author just got hosed on getting his panels cleaned so he wrote this…
