Solar Panel Cleaning in Tampa Bay
Fused Solar and Roofing cleans solar panels across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Manatee counties. Cleaning on its own starts at $495 and goes up with panel count, or it comes once a year with an annual maintenance plan.
Call (813) 285-4505 with your panel count for a quote.
Why solar panels need cleaning in Florida
Rain rinses loose dust but leaves the film: baked-on oak pollen, salt on roofs near the water, bird droppings, and the debris packed along the lower frame.
When to clean
Once a year, in late spring after the pollen and before the summer production peak, is the right schedule for most Tampa Bay homes. Homes under heavy oak or pine, on the water, or near agricultural dust may want a second cleaning in the fall.
How Fused cleans your panels
We clean with deionized or purified water and soft brushes, from the roof or from the ground with a water-fed pole depending on the roof. Never pressure washers, detergents, abrasive pads or hard water. We clean when the glass is cool. The debris along the lower frame and under the array is cleared, not just rinsed.
Three questions to ask before anyone cleans your panels
1. Will the method protect my panel warranty?
Panel makers tie their warranty to following their instructions. REC, for example, says not following its manual can invalidate the warranty. It says not to lean, stand or rest buckets on the panels, to clean only when they are cool, and not to use pressure washers, steam cleaners or high-pressure hoses, which invalidate the warranty. The wrong cleaning method can cost you your panel warranty, so whoever cleans yours must follow your panel maker's instructions.
2. Is it just a wash, or a look at the system too?
| A low-price wash | Fused panel cleaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Water and tools | May use a pressure washer, soap or tap water | Deionized or purified water, soft brushes, cool glass |
| Debris along the lower frame | May be rinsed or missed | Cleared, not just rinsed |
| Array and roof around it | May not be checked | Visually inspected while cleaning |
| Problems seen | May not be noted | Photographed: cracked module, lifted mount, chewed wire, worn shingle |
| Who does it | Varies; may not hold a contractor license | A technician working under Fused's electrical license (EC13014750) |
| Full written photo report | Not usually offered | Comes with the annual maintenance plan |
If a wash is priced far below ours, ask what it includes and who carries the insurance if someone is hurt on your roof.
3. Is the person on my roof licensed and insured?
Florida's licensing agency warns that unlicensed workers often lack the necessary insurance, which can leave the homeowner liable for injuries on the property. If someone uninsured is hurt on your roof, the cost can land on you.
Fused is a licensed electrical (EC13014750), roofing (CCC1331058) and building (CBC1252064) contractor. Check any Florida license at myfloridalicense.com. Proof of our general liability and workers' compensation coverage is available on request, and our technicians are Fused employees.
Solar panel cleaning cost
A standalone cleaning starts at $495 and goes up with panel count. Roof material, pitch, height and system age do not change the price. The annual maintenance plan is also priced by panel count, starting at $495 a year, and includes a yearly visual inspection with a written photo report, one panel cleaning and priority scheduling on service calls. We clean photovoltaic panels only, not solar hot water or pool heating.
Where we clean solar panels
Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Brandon, Riverview, Wesley Chapel, Largo, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Bradenton, Odessa and the areas around them, across Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County and Manatee County.
Solar panel cleaning questions, answered plainly
How much does solar panel cleaning cost in Tampa Bay?
From $495, going up with panel count. Call with your panel count for a quote.
Is cleaning included in the maintenance plan?
Yes. The annual plan includes one cleaning a year, plus the yearly inspection and written photo report.
How often should solar panels be cleaned in Florida?
Once a year in late spring, after the pollen and before the summer peak. Homes under heavy oak or pine, or on the water, may want a second cleaning in the fall.
How do you clean the panels?
Deionized or purified water and soft brushes, on cool glass. No pressure washers, detergents or abrasives. The debris line along the lower frame is cleared.
Can the wrong cleaning method void my panel warranty?
It can. REC, for example, says pressure washers and high-pressure hoses invalidate its warranty.
Does a cleaning include an inspection?
A visual one of the array and the roof around it, with photos of anything of concern. The full yearly inspection with a written report is part of the maintenance plan.
Do you clean panels another company installed?
Yes. Any brand and any installer, roof or ground mounted, including systems whose installer has closed.
Should I clean my panels after a hurricane?
Have the array inspected first. Debris and storm damage are different problems.
Why does Fused's panel cleaning cost more than a $149 wash?
The price pays for a technician working under Fused's electrical license (EC13014750), from a company that carries general liability and workers' compensation coverage, with proof available on request. It also pays for purified or deionized water and soft brushes, the kind of method panel makers such as REC call for, and a visual inspection with photos of the array and the roof around it. A licensed, insured contractor cannot send a technician to a roof for a very low price without cutting some of those things or using the visit to sell something else. Standalone cleaning starts at $495 and goes up with panel count, so whatever cleaning you book, ask what the price includes and who carries the insurance.
My production dropped. Is it just dirt?
Maybe. A failed inverter or microinverter, a string offline, shade or loose connections can also cause it. A $395 on-site diagnostic finds which one.
Call (813) 285-4505 or email [email protected].