Calculate return on investment for solar panel cleaning based on soiling loss, cleaning cost, and energy price.
Total installed solar PV system capacity in kilowatts (kWp). This is the nameplate DC rating of all panels combined.
kWp
Expected annual energy output in kWh when panels are clean. Can be estimated as system size x peak sun hours x 365 x 0.8.
kWh/yr
Estimated annual energy loss due to soiling/dirt if panels are not cleaned. Typical range: 2-7% for residential, up to 25% in dusty/arid areas.
%
Total cost for one professional cleaning session. Includes labor and materials. Typical residential: $150-300, commercial: varies by system size.
$
Number of times panels are cleaned per year. Typical: 1-2 for residential, 2-4 for commercial or dusty environments.
times/yr
Value of electricity in $/kWh. This could be your retail rate, feed-in tariff, or PPA price depending on how the energy is used.
$/kWh
Results
Energy Recovered Per Year-kWh
Revenue Recovered Per Year-$
Annual Cleaning Cost-$
Net Annual Benefit-$
ROI-%
References: Soiling losses typically range 2-7% annually in moderate climates, up to 25% in dusty/arid regions (IEA PVPS). Recovery efficiency of 85% assumes cleaning restores most but not all performance. ROI = (Revenue Recovered - Cleaning Cost) / Cleaning Cost x 100.