Solar in Winter: Here’s What You Need to Know

Snow Won’t Damage Your Solar Panels

If you’ve had sturdy, reliable solar panels installed by professionals, then a little snow should not hurt the equipment. To begin, the slanted nature of a solar array’s design not only allows for maximum consumption of the sun’s rays, but it also encourages wintry weather (rain, sleet, or snow) to slide off quickly. In a way, that wet weather provides a fairly cost-free way to clean your panels after layers of dust, dirt, and grime may have built up over time.

Reports differ as to whether you should try and clean off any snow from the panels yourself, but the general consensus says you can let the panels melt the snow off with their own heat conduction. If you do insist on climbing up to your roof, make sure you use a solar panel snow rake to ensure that no scratches result from your cleaning.

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The Ultimate Homeowner’s Guide to Caring for Solar Panels

Do I Need to Clean or Otherwise Care for My Solar Panels?

You finally made the decision to get solar panels for your home, and you have gotten them all installed on the roof. Now you can kick back and just forget about them, right? Or can you? Do those solar panels require maintenance? Do they need to be cleaned or otherwise cared for in order to do their job?

Since you probably didn’t think about this before you decided to have solar panels installed, you will be happy to learn that in fact, your solar panels require very little maintenance. They are usually made from anodized aluminum, so they do not attract dust and do not rust. They are fixed in place, so they do not require any lubricant and are unlikely to shift in any way.

That being said, there are some situations where you may want to clean your solar panels. Here is what you need to know about caring for your solar panels.

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