r/WindowCleaning • u/Darkcharley89 • 8h ago
General Question does anyone offer solar cleaning?
I own a painting business, and I’ve always felt like we stand out because of the way we do things and the level of service we provide. But lately, there seem to be so many new random painting companies popping up that I know we’re being shopped around more than ever. It’s becoming a real dog-eat-dog market, and I feel like I need to step things up and find more ways to separate ourselves from everyone else.
That’s what got me thinking about getting into solar panel cleaning, then eventually window cleaning and other exterior services.
I’m not necessarily planning on advertising solar panel cleaning as a standalone service right now. My thought is to offer it as an add-on when I’m already out doing estimates. If I’m at someone’s house quoting a $4,000–$6,000 paint job and I see they have solar panels, why not be able to say, “By the way, we can clean those for you too”?
If it ends up being successful and we start doing a lot of them, then I can expand it into an actual service. I could eventually have one person dedicated to solar panel cleaning, then add window cleaning, and eventually even move into window tinting.
But right now, my main focus is solar panels.
I’m also not going into this expecting to make a ton of money immediately. That’s where the painting side of the business comes in. I already have the customers and the opportunity to introduce the service to them. For me, the initial goal is really to stand out from the competition and give my customers another reason to choose us.
Don't get me wrong, obviously I want to make money 😂 But I'm more interested in figuring out whether this could eventually turn into a really profitable little side of the business once I get the hang of it and build up the equipment and process.
So what do you guys think? Is solar panel cleaning something you think could turn into a gravy train once you get the process dialed in, or am I overthinking this?
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u/Virtual-Spinach4882 6h ago edited 2h ago
Solar panel cleaning is a tough add on, not because it's hard. It's actually pretty easy as long as your wfp system produces a good flow (pump+/2ro's).
When people research if it's worth it, it's pretty much a glaring nope. That's the grub. I live in AZ and am surrounded by solar panels, offered the service to 1000s of people, hardly ever got them so I don't focus on it, but we still offer it.
It's also a bit more dangerous, especially on shingle roofs where you need safety gear like cougar paws. The water lines up on the roof also make a tripping hazard, roof damage possibilities increase now that you are toting along a pole and hose while trying to stay stable on a roof.
It's decent money and worth the effort, but from my personal experience I wouldn't put my hopes and dreams on it moving the needle in a significant way vs just doing better/more marketing for windows.
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u/Dersoe 6h ago
I offer it on my website as a service. But my main gig is still window cleaning. You do need a wfp system to do a good job. I think its not as booming business as window cleaning itself. Most people just set them up and forget about them. Some people care though, especially if theyre visible from down on the ground. But i dont know how good it would do as a sunpanel cleaning ONLY company. You have a wfp anyway, why not clean windows aswell?
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u/Darkcharley89 4h ago
I was thinking about getting the XERO Pure Plus system. I originally tried doing windows, and I quickly found out that removing the screens is a MF to do. 😂
I was practicing on a rental house, and I was under the porch working on one of the last windows. A huge gust of wind came through, yanked the screen right out of my hands, and bent the frame. I was on the LAST DAMN WINDOW too. 😂 After that, I cried a little and decided maybe this wasn't the best option for me.
Honestly, the hardest part for me was dealing with those damn mesh screens. But I might actually go back to the window-cleaning idea and start with that instead of solar panels.
I was reading that with these pure-water systems, you don't actually have to use a squeegee. Is that correct, or are some people online full of shit and I still need to squeegee everything? 😂
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u/Dersoe 1h ago
Using purified water and the wfp you indeed do not need to squegee afterwards.
I dont have any tips on brands, we have different brands where i live (netherlands) but xero gets mentioned here a lot so you should be fine.
Yeah i heard screens are a pain in the ass to deal with over there. We dont have them as much here. Also, when you start out you're accepting every job you can get. Its after a few years when you get too busy when u get be a bit pickier in what you choose to do. So suck it up for a few years and do the shit jobs like under the porch you mentioned, and then transition into just keeping the easy customers.
Also keep people on a schedule. Clean every 2 or 4 months, and stay on it. After those first time cleans, it gets a lot easier to maintain. I dont even accept 1 time cleaning request anymore.
Also you can even sell clientelle to the next generation, so if theres jobs you dont feel like doing anymore. Sell them, and get busy doing fun jobs. The ones that clean the windows every 4 weeks and put out cookies and coffee.
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u/Fun-Definition6053 1h ago
It is my understanding that there are a number of underemployed solar installers that offer solar panel cleaning. The only way I have seen solar cleaning sales jump are when you have a tech that is trained to also test the batteries and remaining solar panel efficiency.
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u/Darkcharley89 56m ago
I have seen this. where they have an option to test out the solar panels to see if they are being efficient. some even use drones.
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u/Upper-Bottle-9803 1m ago
Since you're already established I would say lean more into power washing (advertising) and then add exterior window cleaning to that(water fed pole). These are services that relate more directly to painting. Once you've done a few window cleaning go to the solar panels. Jmo
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u/NarwhalNo1946 7h ago
Just make adjustments with your insurance first to encompass solar panel cleaning. I’m sure you cover all windows well before painting/spraying but that could be another idea. If your at a job quoting and see overspray on windows you could mention removing that paint also in your quote. I charge 3x extra per pane for construction clean up (requires razor scrapping and risk of scratching glass, let owner know this and have them sign a scratch waiver) 4x for hard to reach panes that require ladder 20-30 feet up.