Dirty solar panels lose 15–25% of their rated output. Sonlight cleans rooftop solar arrays across Denver, Boulder, and the Front Range using purified-water systems that won't void your manufacturer warranty. Most residential systems are cleaned in under 90 minutes.
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Solar panel cleaning restores lost output by removing dust, pollen, bird droppings, and mineral deposits without damaging the panel surface.
Enter your address. Our autoquoter sizes the home; we'll confirm panel count and accessibility on the call.
Solar panel cleaning is best done before the sun heats the panels — cool panels are safer and the cleaning agents don't flash-evaporate.
Soft non-abrasive brushes plus deionized water. No detergent, no harsh chemicals — most panel manufacturers explicitly prohibit detergents and they're not needed.
Final rinse with deionized water. Because DI water has no minerals, it dries spot-free without towel-drying.
If you have a monitoring system, we'll check the post-clean output before leaving. We email a before/after summary.
Every job is priced individually for the property — these are ballpark ranges to set expectations. The autoquoter on our home page returns an exact firm price for any address in our service area in 30 seconds.
| Profile | Price range |
|---|---|
| Small array (~10 panels) | $150–$220 |
| Typical residential (~20 panels) | $200–$300 |
| Large residential (~30+ panels) | $300–$450 |
| Annual maintenance plan | 10% off when bundled |
| Heavy contamination (bird/pine sap) | $50–$100 add-on |
Colorado solar gets dirty fast: 300+ days of sun means a lot of dust accumulation, and pine pollen / cottonwood fluff stick to panel surfaces. Most Front Range solar systems lose 15–20% of output annually if not cleaned.
Hail-prone Front Range — after a major storm, even if panels aren't physically damaged, the dimpled hail surface scatters incoming light and concentrates dust. Post-hail cleaning restores ~5-8% of output on average.
High UV at altitude (Denver, Colorado Springs) bakes mineral deposits into the panel glass faster than at sea level. Annual cleaning prevents permanent etching that no amount of washing will reverse.
Most residential systems run $150–$400. A typical 20-panel array is around $200–$300. Larger systems (30+ panels) run $300–$450. Annual maintenance plans get a 10% discount.
15–25% on average for systems not cleaned annually in Colorado. The exact number depends on local conditions: homes near construction zones, agricultural areas, or under heavy tree cover lose more. Post-cleaning, we typically see 12–20% output recovery within 24 hours.
Once per year is the baseline — late summer or fall, after pollen and pine season. Homes near construction or in heavy-pollen areas (Old Town Fort Collins, Pine Brook Hills Boulder) can benefit from semi-annual cleaning.
No — assuming the cleaner uses approved methods (deionized water, soft non-abrasive brushes, no detergent). We use methods compliant with major panel manufacturers' (LG, Panasonic, SunPower, etc.) warranty conditions.
You can, but the risks are real: roof-fall liability, panel damage from abrasive scrubbing, mineral spotting from tap water. Tap water leaves spots that re-collect dust faster, partially undoing the clean. Most homeowners save the time and risk by hiring a pro for the annual clean.
No. We don't clear snow from panels — that's a different (and more dangerous) job. Most Colorado snow melts within 24-48 hours; if you need active snow removal, contact a roof-rake service.
Sometimes. Dirty panels are the most common cause of declining output. But other causes — failing inverters, broken micro-inverters, shaded modules — won't be fixed by cleaning. We'll note anything obvious during our visit but recommend an electrical service if cleaning doesn't fix the issue.
Yes. $2M general liability + Colorado workers' comp covers rooftop work. We use roof-anchor systems on steep roofs and fall-protection harnesses where required.
Sonlight provides solar panel cleaning across Colorado's entire Front Range — pick your city for local pricing examples, FAQs, and example homes:
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