Professional Solar Cleaning
Everything You Need to Know About Solar Panel Cleaning
Why regular cleaning protects performance, prevents damage, and supports your solar investment.
If you’ve invested in solar, you expect reliable performance and long-term savings—but like any part of your home, your panels need occasional care. Lichen, dust, and fine debris might seem harmless, but they can reduce output, create damaging hot spots, and silently shorten your system’s lifespan.
In this guide, we explain the real impact of solar soiling, the risks of hot spots, how shading affects power performance, the importance of safe cleaning, and how professional care can extend the life of your panels and protect your warranty.
If you’ve invested in solar, you expect reliable performance and long-term savings—but like any part of your home, your panels need occasional care. Lichen, dust, and fine debris might seem harmless, but they can reduce output, create damaging hot spots, and silently shorten your system’s lifespan.
In this guide, we explain the real impact of solar soiling, the risks of hot spots, how shading affects power performance, the importance of safe cleaning, and how professional care can extend the life of your panels and protect your warranty.
The Hidden Threats to Your System’s Performance
Solar panels are built to last, but dirt, organic growth, and shading can quietly reduce their output over time. Even small patches of lichen or dust can trigger hot spots—localized areas of overheating that not only reduce efficiency but can also lead to lasting structural damage.
What Are Hot Spots and Why Do They Matter?
A hot spot is a section of a solar panel that overheats due to inconsistent electrical flow. This typically happens when part of the panel is shaded, cracked, or otherwise compromised.
When a cell is shaded, it produces less energy than surrounding cells. The unshaded cells push current through the shaded cell, which resists the flow and turns the energy into heat. This localized heating can reduce overall power by more than 50% across that panel string.
Common Causes of Hot Spots Include:
Lichen, moss, or debris casting shade
Bird droppings or leaf litter
Cracks or micro-cracks in solar cells
Faulty solder joints or bypass diodes
Dust build-up, especially near the panel edges
Thermal imaging shows that even minor growth can cause a noticeable temperature spike.
Over time, this excess heat can:
- Crack or degrade solar cells
- Melt solder connections and damage bypass diodes
- Reduce system lifespan and output
- In severe cases, become a fire risk—especially in Australia’s hot, dry conditions
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I use Google Earth and Google Maps to assess your home’s exterior.
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Colorbond Roof Cleaning
Using a low pressure soft wash system, from ground level or ladders, Hunter Pressure Cleaning will quickly remove layers of dust, dirt, cobwebs, bird and insect droppings, mould, mildew, & algae leaving the roof bright and clean.
As a specialist roof cleaner I will not use high pressure that will remove paint, making your roof look uneven. Ask for a quote today.
Tile Roof Cleaning
Pressure cleaning tile roof can remove the top colour layers, and force water between the tiles and into your roof cavity.
roofs to remove lichen growth will damage the surface and void manufacturers warranty.
Hunter Pressure Cleaning provides a low pressure “soft wash” to your roof that will revitalise it’s appearance. You will be amazed at the transformation.
Our reputation speaks for itself
4.9
Comprehensive roof care solutions
Solar Panel Cleaning
Hunter Pressure Cleaning are expert solar panel cleaners.
Keep your panels working at peak capacity by ensuring they are free of dust, droppings and lichen. Lichen growth on panels can lead to “hot spots” that can damage or destroy the panel.
Clerestory Window Cleaning
Clerestory windows are gorgeous and bring warmth and light to your home. Let me take the hassle out of maintaining your windows by cleaning them when I am up there!
Fill in the quote request to begin your journey to a beautifully clean home! You will wish you had done it sooner.
Gutter Cleaning
Hunter Pressure Cleaning provides a prompt, safe and insured gutter cleaning service.
We remove leaf litter, debris and plants from gutters and valley pans, and when finished will complete a visual check for any problems and inform you with photographs.
Get started today!
Customised Cleaning Solutions
Customer Satisfaction
Picture this: Your weekend free, replaced by the satisfaction of a sparkling clean home. My detailed pressure cleaning service treats every home like my own, transforming tired exteriors into show-stopping displays. Forget chores, embrace the joy of a home you love.
Professional and Reliable
Expect personalised service tailored to your needs, delivered with professionalism and a smile. Relax, knowing you’re in good hands with open communication and timely updates.
Close Attention to Detail
I offer detailed house washing and pressure cleaning that’s tailored to your specific needs. I don’t just clean surfaces – I restore the beauty of your home and all its fine details. Let’s get started today!
Contact Details
Hunter Pressure Cleaning
Business Hours
Open today 07:00 am - 07:00 pm
Roof Cleaning Resource
Routine Roof Maintenance
The Hunter Valley is a particularly humid and dusty environment. Condensation, dew and humidity is captured by dust lying on the surfaces of roofs that provide an ideal environment for micro-organisms. Once a dirt layer is established more dust and dirt is trapped, thereby trapping more moisture and creating greater areas for microbial colonisation. The cycle perpetuates itself. As these layers accumulate on roofs they encourage the growth of lichen, mould, and moss.
Also, these layers can trap pollution as well as moisture, which can cause a metal roof to degrade and erode the paint that is bonded to the steel roofing. As this process continues rust develops.
The manufacturers of both steel and tile covering systems recommend regular cleaning and maintenance programs.
Washing should be done six monthly as a minimum, or three monthly in locations such as coastal areas where marine salt spray is prevalent, or in areas where high levels of airborne dust/dirt or industrial fallout occur. In the Hunter Valley, Hunter Pressure Cleaning recommend washing down your roof every four months, specifically at the end of March, July and November. In the case of extreme events (storm, tempest or other “acts of God”), inspection and repairs should be carried out as required. It is important to note that documenting regular roof cleaning and maintenance is vital if the need arises to make a warranty claim for your roofing products.
Colorbond Technical Bulletin
“As the fungal growth is a natural occurrence on COLORBOND® steel, cleaning remains the responsibility of the owner.”
Click this link to download:
Colourbond Technical Bulletin; TB-4 Maintenance of exterior coated steel products.
Lichen grows into the surface paint layer of Colorbond and equivalent coated steel surfaces. As the lichen grows it damages the painted surface layer, leaving it pitted, scarred and damaged.