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SOLAR PANEL CLEANING
Solar panel cleaning for the north metro
Pure 0 PPM water, a brush made for solar and a cool panel, so your array comes clean without scratches or spots.
Solar panel cleaning removes pollen, dust film, bird droppings and sprinkler spotting from rooftop and ground-mount residential arrays. Glass House cleans with water filtered to 0 PPM (zero parts per million of dissolved minerals) and brushes made only for solar panels, with no soaps or chemicals.
North metro water is hard, and minerals left to dry on a panel can etch it permanently, the same way they etch glass. Cleaning done the wrong way can scratch or damage a panel, so we follow the manufacturer's method and clean only a cool panel, early in the morning or on an overcast day.
NO-SCRATCH, SPOT-FREE FINISH GUARANTEE
Pure-water cleaning is designed to leave your panels free of wash-process spots and scratches.
★ Rated 4.9 on Google · 44 reviews
Insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Based in Ham Lake
WHY PURE WATER MATTERS
Hard water here, zero minerals on your panels
Water with minerals in it will permanently etch a panel, the same way it etches glass, and north metro water carries a great deal of them.
0 PPM
is the reading of our filtered water before it touches a panel. We watch the meter and wait for zero before the work begins.
258 PPM
of hardness in Hugo's city water, well past the 180 PPM line where the USGS classifies water as very hard. Minerals like that stay behind wherever water dries.
375 PPM
of hardness in Rogers, the hardest city water on our list. Blaine runs about 310 to 360 PPM, and Ramsey describes its water as very hard.
100%
of Ham Lake homes use private wells, so sprinkler water reaches a ground-mount array exactly as it comes out of the ground.
Sources: USGS, Hardness of Water; City of Hugo, FAQ (water hardness); City of Rogers, Utility Billing FAQs; City of Blaine, water hardness FAQ (2023); City of Ramsey, About Water; Minnesota DNR, Blaine-Ham Lake area well interference fact sheet (2023). City figures converted to PPM.
WHAT WE CLEAN OFF
What builds up on north metro panels
Panels sit out through everything north metro seasons bring. These are the four deposits we see most.
Pollen and cottonwood
Late spring coats everything in pollen, and cottonwood fluff drifts onto anything flat or tilted. On a panel it builds into a dull film across the glass that is easy to miss from the ground. Pure water and a soft solar brush lift it without chemicals, and an early-summer visit catches it before it builds.
Dust film
A thin, even layer of dust builds up over the season. It rarely shows as spots, because it dulls the whole array at once, which is why many homeowners do not notice it until it is gone. A gentle scrub loosens it, and a top-to-bottom rinse carries it all the way off the panel.
Bird droppings
Droppings dry hard and sit in one place. We soften and lift them with pure water and a soft solar brush, never by scraping, because scraping is how a panel gets scratched. The same rule applies to anything hard on the glass: if it does not lift gently, it is not forced.
Irrigation spotting
Ground-mount arrays near the lawn catch sprinkler spray, and around here that water is hard. Every cycle leaves minerals on the glass, and left to build up, those minerals can etch it permanently. Aiming sprinkler heads at the grass, never at the array, prevents most of it.
HEAT SHOCK
A cool panel is a safe panel
Cool water on a hot panel can damage it permanently. That thermal shock is called heat shock, and it is why the time of day is part of our method, not only our schedule.
Early morning
Panels cool off overnight, so morning is our first choice. Solar appointments are booked for the start of the day, so the cleaning is finished before the sun has had time to heat the glass. It can mean an early start, and it is the reason the method is safe.
An overcast day
Clouds keep panels from heating up, so a cloudy afternoon works as well as a cool morning. The rule is not a time on the clock; it is a cool panel. That matters for scheduling, because an overcast forecast can make an afternoon appointment possible.
Never a hot, sunny panel
On a sunny afternoon a panel heats up, and cool water on it risks heat shock. If the sun reaches the array before we do, we would rather move the appointment than take that chance, because no cleaning can undo a damaged panel.
Weather rescheduling is always free and never counts as a cancellation. A few days' wait is small next to a damaged panel.
HOW WE CLEAN PANELS
Pure water, soft brushes, top to bottom
Every array is cleaned the same way, in the same order. What sets the method apart is the water and the brush.
01
A quick walk-around first
Every job starts with a look at the array. Carson notes cracks, existing scratches, failed seals and any hard debris before cleaning begins, flags anything that concerns him, and confirms how the panels are reached, from the ground or from the roof.
WHY NEVER TAP OR HOSE WATER
Water with minerals in it permanently etches a panel, the same way it etches glass. Tap water, hose water and well water all carry those minerals, so nothing touches your panels but 0 PPM water.
02
Filter the water to zero
The van carries three reverse osmosis filters, a carbon filter and a deionization filter, which together strip the minerals out of the water. A meter shows what is coming in and what is going out, and the work waits until the water reads 0 PPM.
03
Scrub gently with a solar brush
A brush head made specifically for solar panels goes on the carbon fiber pole, and each panel is scrubbed gently with pure water and no chemicals. The brush loosens pollen, dust film and droppings without scratching the glass.
04
Rinse top to bottom
Pure water rinses each panel from the top edge down, so the loosened pollen, dust and droppings come all the way off instead of settling lower on the glass.
05
Dry spot-free
With no minerals in the rinse water, the panels dry clean and streak-free on their own, with no towels and no wiping. There is nothing in the water to leave a spot behind, which is the whole reason for filtering it to zero.
WHAT IS COVERED
What we clean, and what we leave alone
Solar cleaning has clear limits, and we would rather explain them now than on the day of the job.
WHAT IS ON YOUR PANELS
WHAT WE DO
WHY
Pollen, cottonwood and dust film
Scrubbed gently and rinsed with pure water
Exactly what this service is built for
Bird droppings
Softened and lifted with the solar brush
Rinsed away, never scraped
Irrigation and hard water spotting
Lifted with pure water for a spot-free finish
Easiest before it builds up
Hard debris or construction debris
Not removed
Scratch and liability risk to your panels
Cracks, existing scratches, failed seals
Not covered
Cleaning cannot fix them; we point out what we see
Mounting, manufacturer defects, output problems
Not covered
Not something cleaning can address
HOW PRICING WORKS
Quoted for your array, confirmed first
YOUR SOLAR CLEANING AT A GLANCE
QUOTE FIRST
Solar panel cleaning
Quoted
Rooftop or ground-mount, pure water and solar brushes
No-Scratch, Spot-Free Finish Guarantee
Included
Free of wash-process spots and scratches
Satisfaction Guarantee
Included
If the result is not right, we make it right
Walk-around first
Included
Every online quote is verified in person
Available May through September
Quote first
Solar panel cleaning is quoted after Carson sees your array and how it is reached, and you will have the exact price before any work starts. Booking three projects together, such as solar, windows and gutters, saves 10%.
WAYS TO SAVE
Service Plan members
25% off any other work, holiday lighting included
Veterans
10% off any service
Same-day neighbors
15% off for both households
Preferred day
Another 5% off on top of any other saving, up to 25% in all
Seniors 65 and older
$50 off
Three projects together
10% off
Discounts don't combine — you receive whichever single saving is largest. Then a Preferred day can take another 5% off, up to 25% in all (Service Plan members aren't capped).
This season’s flash sale is shown at the foot of every page.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
What solar cleaning includes, and what it does not
Pure water, a soft solar brush and a cool panel. This is what that covers, and what we leave alone.
INCLUDED
In every solar cleaning
• A walk-around noting cracks, scratches and failed seals first
• Pollen, dust, cottonwood and bird droppings lifted
• Rooftop and ground-mount residential arrays
• Cleaned on a cool panel: early morning or an overcast day
• 0 PPM water and a solar brush, with no chemicals
• Our Satisfaction and No-Scratch, Spot-Free Finish Guarantees
NOT INCLUDED
What we leave alone
• Hard or construction debris, a scratch risk to your panels
• Existing scratches, cracks and failed seals
• Mounting, manufacturer defects and output problems
• Tap water, hose water or chemicals on your panels, ever
EQUIPMENT AND METHODS
The method panel makers ask for
The same van-mounted reverse osmosis, carbon and deionization filters we use on glass, run until the water reads 0 PPM, feed a brush made only for solar panels on our carbon fiber pole. Each panel is scrubbed gently and rinsed top to bottom so it dries streak-free. Work is scheduled early in the day or under cloud cover, so the water only ever meets a cool panel.
SAFETY AND CARE
Safe for your panels and your warranty
Solar panels are glass, electronics and a long-term investment on your roof. The way we clean them protects all three.
WATER QUALITY
Metered on every job
The spot-free standard is a reading under 10 PPM, ideally between 0 and 5, and panels receive water at 0. If the meter reaches 15 PPM, the deionization resin is replaced before the next job. Hard-water homes use resin faster, so on those jobs the reading is also checked partway through.
THE POLE
A dedicated head for solar
The carbon fiber pole reaches over 60 feet, up to six stories, and pure water reaches it through more than 1,000 feet of small, flexible, kink-proof hose. The pole takes different heads for different jobs, and your panels receive the head made specifically for solar panels.
LADDERS
Standoffs, levelers and a steady angle
Every ladder carries padded standoffs, so your gutters never take its weight, and levelers for soft or uneven ground. Ladders are set at a 4 to 1 angle and tied off above two stories, which keeps them steady while the pole does the reaching.
UP TOP
Traction and dry footing
If panels need roof access, the work is done in roofing-specific traction footwear, with a harness when conditions call for it, and nobody walks on wet shingles. A wet roof is dangerous, so roof access waits for dry conditions, the same way the cleaning waits for a cool panel.
THE OWNER
Panels cleaned the way their makers intend
Glass House is owned and run by Carson Brenny. He grew up in Ham Lake, went to Blaine High School and has worked full-time in exterior cleaning since 2020. He quotes every solar job, cleans every panel himself and walks you through what he found on the array.
Solar panels are a significant investment on top of the home itself, and homeowners install them to get something back for years. That is why Carson follows the manufacturer's cleaning method to the letter, uses nothing but pure water and waits for a cool panel, even when that means a very early start.
IN CARSON'S WORDS
“It's my neighbors' homes: their biggest investment, one of the places they spend the most time, and where the people they care about most live. It's something everyone should enjoy, and I believe that.”
Carson Brenny, owner
✓
0 PPM pure water only
✓
Cool panels only, morning or overcast
✓
The cleaning method panel makers ask for
OUR GUARANTEES
What we promise, in plain words
These are printed word for word on your quote, your work order and your invoice.
INCLUDED
No-Scratch, Spot-Free Finish Guarantee
Pure-water cleaning is designed to leave your panels free of wash-process spots and scratches. (Doesn't cover pre-existing scratches, cracks, failed seals, or performance issues unrelated to cleaning.)
INCLUDED
Satisfaction Guarantee
Your residential solar panel cleaning is backed by our satisfaction guarantee — if the result isn't right, we make it right.
INCLUDED
Workmanship Standard
If we miss an area or leave normal cleanable residue, tell us and we'll re-clean or touch it up. Our guarantees cover the cleaning result — not repairs, replacements, permanent stains, or conditions that can't be safely corrected through cleaning.
Your warranty stays protected
Pure water and dedicated solar brushes are how manufacturers want panels cleaned, and Glass House follows that method to the letter. Ignoring those instructions is what puts a panel warranty at risk, which is why no pressure, abrasive or chemical ever touches your panels.
Before and after photos
Every cleaning is documented with before and after photos, attached to your receipt once the work is complete. Anything noticed on the array, such as a crack, a failed seal or hard debris, is photographed and pointed out rather than left for you to discover.
MINNESOTA TIMING
When to book solar cleaning
MAY
The season opens
Solar cleaning runs May through September. Pollen and cottonwood season makes early summer a natural time for the first visit of the year.
SUMMER
Mornings and cloudy days
Heat is what we plan around. Summer appointments land early in the day, or on an overcast day when the panels stay cool.
SEPTEMBER
The last solar month
A late-season visit takes off the summer's dust, droppings and sprinkler spotting before fall, and makes a natural second visit of the year.
OCTOBER TO APRIL
No solar cleaning
Solar season ends with September. Our other exterior work runs through November 15, and panels wait until May.
Solar cleaning works best as bi-annual maintenance, twice a year, rather than waiting until your panels look distressed.
WHERE WE WORK
Solar panel cleaning across the north metro
Glass House is based in Ham Lake and cleans rooftop and ground-mount residential arrays throughout Anoka County and the Twin Cities north metro.
Each city page covers the local conditions that affect your panels. The surrounding north metro is served as well, and we travel farther for a small trip fee.
SOLAR CLEANING QUESTIONS
Solar panel cleaning FAQ
How do you clean solar panels?
With pure 0 PPM water and brushes made specifically for solar panels. Each panel is scrubbed gently, then rinsed from top to bottom with pure water, so it dries spot-free with no towels. No soaps or chemicals are used, and the work is done only when the panels are cool.
Why do you clean so early in the day?
Cool water on a hot panel can cause heat shock, a sudden temperature change that can damage the panel permanently. Panels are cool in the early morning and on overcast days, so that is when we clean them. A cloudy afternoon works as well; a sunny one does not.
Will cleaning affect my panel warranty?
Our method is the one manufacturers ask for: pure water and dedicated solar brushes, with no pressure, abrasives or chemicals. Glass House follows it to the letter, specifically so your warranty stays protected. Ignoring the manufacturer's cleaning instructions is what puts a panel warranty at risk.
How much more power will my panels make?
We do not put a number on it, because it depends on your system and how dirty the panels were. What we promise is clean, spot-free panels, cleaned without scratching them, and the No-Scratch, Spot-Free Finish Guarantee stands behind that.
How often should solar panels be cleaned?
Twice a year works well for most homes, for example once in early summer after pollen and cottonwood season and once in September. It is best treated as regular maintenance rather than waiting until the panels look distressed.
When do you offer solar cleaning?
May through September. Within that window, appointments are booked for early mornings or overcast days, so the panels are always cool when the water reaches them. Our other exterior services run from March 1 through November 15.
Can you remove hard or construction debris from panels?
No. Hard debris and construction debris are not removed from solar panels, because of the risk of scratching the glass and the liability that comes with it. Carson points it out during the walk-around so you know it is there before the cleaning begins.
How much does solar panel cleaning cost?
Solar panel cleaning is quoted after Carson sees your array and how it is reached, and you will have the exact price before any work starts. Every online quote is verified in person. Booking three projects together, such as solar, windows and gutters, takes 10% off.
Fully insured to $2M
Owner-operated
Locally owned in Ham Lake
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