Stratus Soft Wash
Home / Services / Solar panel cleaning
Panels make less power dirty. Rain will not fix it.
Solar panel cleaning across South Jersey. Deionised water and a soft brush, from the ground where we can reach. No pressure, no detergent and nothing abrasive on the anti-reflective coating.
Rain does some of it, not all of it
Around here the honest answer is that rainfall keeps panels reasonably clean most of the year. Two things it does not handle.
Pollen season
NREL studied five solar farms in North Carolina, a climate much like ours, that had run seven years without a manual clean. Losses peaked around 15% during pollen season and the panels never returned to where they started, even after months of rain. A wet brush clean got 5–11% of it back.
Bird droppings
Rain does not shift them. And a panel is wired in series, so one shaded cell can drag down an entire string, not just the patch it is sitting on. This is the one worth calling about rather than waiting.
What rain leaves behind
Water that dries on glass leaves whatever was dissolved in it. That is why we rinse with deionised water, the same as we do on windows. Nothing dries back onto the surface.
What we will not do
No pressure washer, no detergents, no abrasive pads. Panels carry an anti-reflective coating that scratches, and most manufacturer warranties have wording about how they can be cleaned. Not worth risking a panel to shift some pollen.
Send an address and roughly how many panels and we will price it.
Get a free quote Call (215) 605-1017How we do it
The same kit that does your windows. Pure water, soft bristle, long reach.
Look first
Roof pitch, panel height and what is actually on them. Pollen film and bird droppings are different jobs. If we cannot reach it safely we will tell you rather than guess.
Soft brush
A water-fed brush loosens what is on the surface while filtered water floods it away. No standing on panels, no scraping.
Deionised rinse
Pure water has nothing in it to leave behind, so the panels dry clear with no mineral spotting and no detergent film.
Windows while we are here
Most people book panels alongside a window clean, because it is the same crew, the same water and one trip out.
What people say about working with us
Amazing service, extremely professional, and very knowledgeable. They take their job seriously and it shows in their work. I will recommend them to everyone I can. Thank you guys for the amazing job in Washington Township.
Wonderful superb experience with extremely meticulous and thorough job. Professional attitude and reasonable prices. Would highly recommend. Adam is a pleasure to work with.
A very professional service and extremely hardworking crew with integrity and honesty! We highly recommend Stratus Cleaning!
Showed up on time, extremely professional. Very satisfied with the work they did and plan on becoming a repeat customer. Eric especially was extremely helpful in making the whole process simple and convenient.
Questions about solar panel cleaning
Including how often it is worth doing, which is less often than most companies will tell you.
How often should panels be cleaned?
Once a year is plenty for most South Jersey roofs, timed for after pollen season rather than before it. Arid states clean far more often, but their panels sit under dust and almost no rain. Do not let anyone sell you quarterly here.
Will it actually make a difference to my bill?
Some, not a fortune. Independent research puts annual soiling losses across the US at up to about 7%, and the pollen studies in climates like ours found peaks near 15% before a clean recovered part of it. Anyone quoting you a flat 25% is using desert numbers.
Can I just do it myself?
You can, and if the panels are reachable from the ground with a hose and a soft brush, plenty of people do. Where it goes wrong is a pressure washer, dish soap, or standing on the panels, all of which cost far more than the clean.
Will you walk on my roof?
Not on the panels. We work from a pole wherever we can and we will tell you straight if a roof is not something we can reach safely.
Do you clean ground-mounted arrays?
Yes, and they are easier and cheaper than roof-mounted. Same water, same brush.
What does it cost?
It depends on panel count, roof pitch and height. The number is fixed before we start and it does not move once we are on site. Booked alongside a window clean it costs less than as a standalone trip.
Get a solar panel cleaning quote
Tell us roughly how long it's been since the panels were last cleaned. You'll get a number back the same day. Or skip the form and call (215) 605-1017.
You're in.
We'll call you back today from (215) 605-1017. Two taps and we'll lock in a discount before we do.
so far
✓What are we cleaning?
Changes how we quote the access.
✓How often should we come back?
Every plan gets the same treatment. Come back more often, pay less.
✓Last one — where's the property?
We'll pull it up before we call so the number is real, not a guess.
Add the address or town.$100
locked in
We'll call you today from (215) 605-1017.