For most Gold Coast homes, once a year is usually enough. If you're near the beach, a construction site, under trees, or have a bird problem, you might need it every 6 months. You'll notice the difference in your power bills when they're clean, but unless you have a massive system, the savings won't counter the cost of cleaning.

Not really, it cleans as well as it would clean your car. Rain might wash off loose dust, but it doesn't touch bird droppings, salt build-up, tree sap, or baked-on grime. When rainwater dries, it will show all the disturbed dirt spots left behind that make things worse.

Not if it's done properly. Most manufacturers specify pure water and soft brushes — which is exactly what we use. Using detergents, high pressure, or abrasive tools can void your warranty, which is why we don't usually touch any of that except in the most extreme circumstances. Think of it this way, if we need to break out chemicals to clean your panels, you've already voided the warranty through neglect, and we're trying to restore energy efficiency in any availably way.

Studies vary, but 15-30% efficiency loss is common for panels that haven't been cleaned in a year or more. Heavy soiling like bird droppings can cause even bigger drops because one blocked cell affects the whole string.

You can, but it's risky. Garden hoses leave mineral deposits. Dish soap can damage coatings. And climbing on your roof without proper safety gear is a hospital trip waiting to happen. For the cost of a professional clean once or twice a year, it's not worth the risk.

We'll visually inspect for obvious damage like cracks, hot spots, or wiring issues. If we spot something that looks off, we'll let you know so you can get an electrician or your installer to check it out. We're cleaners, not sparkies — but we'll flag anything that doesn't look right.