Solar Panel Cleaning in Perth & WA
Dirty panels quietly cost you money every single day. Perth gets months without meaningful rain, and dust, salt and bird droppings build into a film that measurably cuts what your system generates.
Fully insured
Public liability cover
Free fixed quotes
No variations on the day
Before & after photos
Proof on every job
Perth & WA wide
Local, owner-operated
What Our Solar Panel Cleaning Includes
Solar panels need deionised water and a soft brush, not detergent and pressure. Tap water dries and leaves mineral spotting, which shades the cells almost as effectively as the dirt you just removed. Detergent leaves a film that attracts dust straight back.
- Full panel array washed with deionised water and a soft brush
- Bird droppings and lichen spots removed without scratching the glass
- Panel frames and edges cleared of accumulated grime
- Between-panel gaps cleared of leaf litter and nesting material
- Visual check of visible cabling, clamps and mounting hardware
- Any cracked or delaminated panels photographed and reported
- Roof area around the array checked and debris removed
- Before-and-after photographs, plus a note of anything found
How the Job Runs
Panels are glass and electronics on a roof. The job is done gently, with the system shut down, and without walking on the array.
1. Assess the array
We check array size, roof pitch, panel condition and access. Very steep or brittle roofs may not be safe to work, and we will tell you that rather than risk it.
2. Shut down safely
The system is shut down at the inverter before work begins, following the correct isolation sequence. Wet work on a live array is not something to improvise.
3. Wash
Deionised water and a soft brush across every panel, working from the roof edge or walkway rather than on the panels. No detergent, no pressure, no abrasives.
4. Restart & report
System restarted and confirmed generating, gutters below the array cleared of what came down, photos and any condition notes sent to you.
What It Costs
Solar cleaning is quoted on panel count, roof pitch and access. Panel count is the main driver, but a steep two-storey roof changes the job substantially.
- Number of panels in the array
- Roof pitch and whether the array can be reached safely from the edge
- Single or double storey, which determines access equipment
- How heavy the soiling is, particularly bird droppings and lichen
- Whether the array is split across multiple roof faces
- Proximity to the coast, farmland or a busy road, which all accelerate soiling
It is worth thinking about this as maintenance with a measurable return rather than a cosmetic clean. A soiled array in Perth conditions can lose a meaningful share of its output, and unlike most cleaning, this one pays part of itself back through the meter.
Why Panel Soiling Costs More Than You Think
Solar output falls gradually as panels soil, which is exactly why it goes unnoticed. There is no fault, no alarm, and nothing obviously wrong — just steadily less generation.
Perth gets no rain for months
People assume rain cleans panels. Over a Perth summer there may be no meaningful rain for months, and light rain is worse than none — it lifts dust and dries it into a bonded film.
Bird droppings shade whole strings
A dropping does not just block its own patch. Panels are wired in strings, and heavy shading on one cell can drag down the output of the panels connected with it, well out of proportion to the area covered.
Salt and dust bond over time
Coastal salt combined with red dust forms a film that grows more stubborn the longer it stays. Cleaned annually it rinses off easily; left for years it needs real work to shift.
Solar Panel Cleaning FAQs
It varies with how soiled they are and what the soiling is. Light dust costs a little; heavy dust, salt film and bird droppings cost considerably more. We are not going to quote you a precise percentage — anyone who does without seeing your array is guessing — but the difference on a neglected array is visible in the monitoring after a clean.
Not properly, and not in Perth. Months pass without meaningful rain over summer, and light rain actively makes it worse by lifting dust and drying it into a film. Rain also does nothing at all about bird droppings or lichen.
Tap water carries dissolved minerals. When it dries on glass it leaves spotting, and that spotting shades the cells — so you end up with clean-looking panels that still underperform. Deionised water dries without residue.
Cleaning done correctly does not. Cleaning done with harsh detergent, abrasives, high pressure or by walking on the panels can, and it can also crack cells invisibly. This is a good reason not to do it yourself with the garden hose and a broom.
Annually suits most Perth homes. Properties near the coast, on unsealed roads, near farmland, or under trees where birds perch usually want it every six months.
Yes. We shut down at the inverter following the correct isolation sequence before any water goes on the array, and restart and confirm generation afterwards.
Usually yes, with the right access equipment. Some very steep or fragile roofs are not safe to work and we will tell you honestly rather than take the job and take the risk.
Yes. We photograph anything that looks wrong — cracked glass, delamination, discoloured cells, loose clamps — and send it to you. We do not repair solar systems, so there is nothing in it for us but telling you.
We clear whatever comes down during the clean, and we will flag it if the gutters underneath need a proper job. Arrays tend to trap leaf litter and nesting material along their lower edge.
Get Your Panels Generating Properly Again
Deionised water, soft brushes, system safely isolated, and a condition report on the array. Free fixed quote across Perth and WA.