Solar Panels In Oregon

In most cases, your solar panels will get a good cleaning every time it rains. However, if you’re in an area that doesn’t get rain very often, you can use a garden hose, a large sponge, and mild dish soap to clean your solar panels. Never use harsh chemicals, pressure washers, or any abrasives that might scratch the surface of your panels. Many solar panel installation companies will also offer inexpensive panel cleaning and maintenance.

When properly installed, especially in hurricane-prone areas like Florida, the strict installation regulations ensure that solar panel systems are as safe as the rest of your home and roof. In many circumstances, the added reinforcement actually helps the home and roof fare better in a hurricane than a home without solar panels. Of course, as in any natural disaster, anything can happen and there is no way to guarantee your solar panels won’t sustain damage or be ripped up along with the roof.

Solar panels, or solar photovoltaic panels, transform sunlight into usable energy by converting the light into an electric field that then flows into a conductive wire.  The conductive wire flows into the inverter which then transforms the electricity to an alternating current which can then be used to power a property.

You can read our full article about how solar panels work here.

A typical residential solar panel is rated to produce between 250 and 400 watts of power per hour. Your average solar panel systems have between 1 kW and 4 kW capacity. Solar panels’ output varies depending on a number of factors, such as their capacity, size, location, and shade conditions. For example, a 4 kW solar panel system on an average-sized house can produce around 2,500 to 2,850 kWh of electricity in a year.

In most cases, cleaning your solar panels isn’t really necessary. They get a great rinse off every time it rains. However, if you live in a dry state you may need to clean them from time to time. It’s generally advised that you hire a professional to do this so that you don’t do any unintended damage to your solar panels. However, if you plan to do it yourself, it’s not all that difficult. All you really need is a hose, a good brush, and some patience. Make sure to take your time and gently, but thoroughly scrub the panels until all the dirt and debris is removed.

In order to figure out how many solar panels you need, you’ll need to determine how much energy your household uses, how many panels you can fit on your roof, the peak sunlight in your area, how efficient the panels you’re considering are, and whether net metering is available in your area. The easiest way to find out is to get a solar panel estimate from a local installer.