Solar Panel Cleaning

You made a great investment that will cut the costs of your heating and electricity bill and help to protect the environment. Solar panels are made to last at least 30 years, or more. Over the course of time though, bird droppings, dust and pollution can get baked in on the glass and actually lower the output.

So, how do you double the output? Of course, if your solar panels are dirty- by having them cleaned. There was a study done by Google on the effect of cleaning the solar panels at their facilities, and the output before and after the cleaning, and the results were phenomenal! You can see the study done (page 15 and on) by clicking the link Google Study. 

What you will see is pretty amazing.

So, what is the absolute best way to clean your solar panels? If your set up is at an angle, then minimal maintenance is required. Many suggest to use just a garden hose and rinse the dust off. While this is effective to some degree, the problem is the TDS (total dissolved solids) in the water. Just running regular hose water will not clean the glass on the surface, only rinse the dust off the glass.

The process to cleaning your solar panels is very much the same as it is for window cleaning. After all, the photovoltaic cells are protected by a glass window. You can not clean the windows with a garden hose, you know what will happen; it’s going to leave a bunch of spots. Which in the long run will reduce the output just as it would if your panels were dirty.

What about the baked in contaminants?

Especially if your solar panels lay flat, or at a very slight angle do they need to be maintained.

The best possible way to clean those panels is by using a pure water system and a water fed pole. Purification systems bring the TDS of the water to zero, and the water fed pole can clean the angled panels from the ground in most cases removing all contaminants (if regularly maintained). On roofs or areas where the panels lay flat or at a slight angle, the same system is used, which makes the cleaning fast, efficient, Eco friendly and affordable.

If you live in the San Diego area, and would like to have your solar panels professionally cleaned, simply go to the Estimatespage or call us and we will be happy to clean them for you. If however, you would like to do so yourself please feel free to give us a call and one of our experts will gladly walk thru the process with you.

Window cleaning, the types of glass:

In our homes or on our commercial buildings many times the last thing we think about is the type of glass that the window is made from. This article will help to inform you of those differences, why it matters, and how to clean them.

We will also discuss briefly the reason of what causes glass to scratch.

There are basically 5 types of glass that we deal with, and those types are Annealed, Heat Strengthened, Tempered, Low- E, and Insulated Glass Units (IG Units).

Annealed Glass: This type of glass is easy to clean, and when using a razor blade (or a scraper) to remove debris, DOES NOT SCRATCH.  Annealingis a process of slowly cooling the glass to relieve internal stresses after it was formed. This type of glass is the kind that if it breaks, will break in big shards. Much annealed glass is flat glass.  Almost all flat glass made is called “float glass,” named for the process invented in England in the 1950s by Sir Alastair Pilkington of Pilkington Glass. His breakthrough was to pour molten glass over molten tin in a mold. The glass actually floats on the tin, smoothing out to evenly fill the form.

Heat Strengthened Glass: Heat-strengthened glass is glass that has been heat treated to induce surface compression, but not to the extent of causing it to “dice” on breaking in the manner of tempered glass. On breaking, heat-strengthened glass breaks into sharp pieces that are typically somewhat smaller than those found on breaking annealed glass, and is intermediate in strength between annealed and toughened glasses. This type of glass, when it comes to window cleaning, can have fabricating debris…which will be briefly discussed later.

Tempered Glass: This type of glass is heat strengthened four or five times stronger than annealed glass. This type of glass is also called safety glass, because of the way that it breaks. When it breaks, it does so in small pieces, just like the windows on your vehicle. It protects people from serious cuts and lacerations. Tempered glass is normally stamped or etched identifying is as such. In most cases the manufacturer of the glass has their label or brand on it as well. This type of glass, when it comes to window cleaning is also the most problematic. The reason why is because of the way that it is made. If it is made correctly, then usually there is not a problem cleaning it.

When tempered glass is made, first it is cut to the size of the window or door, whatever its to be used for. Then, the edges of that glass are sanded down so there aren’t any sharp edges on it. After that, it is washed before it is heated. Then it is super heated to 5000 degrees F, and then cooled quickly. That’s what makes it break into tiny peices.

Low-E:This type of glass was made to cool down homes and buildings. It has a film that limits UV rays from passing through. It is a coating that is applied durring the making of the glass, and another coating after the glass is made.

Insulated Glass Units: An insulated glass unit, or IG unit, is two pieces of glass separated by a spacer to allow air or gas to be sealed between the panes. These types of glass are also tempered, and unfortunately, there is no standard for stamping this glass for identification.

So what causes glass to scratch?

There are a few reasons why the glass gets scratched. Most common is carelessness on the part of the people working on or near the glass. Workers that put their tools on the glass. Wiping debris off of the glass. Painters and stucco crews trying to scrape off excess paint and stucco, even concrete, and not being trained on how to properly remove debris off of glass. Uneducated and untrained window cleaners, and finally fabricating debris.

We will talk about the issue of fabricating debris in a later article, as it is an issue that has been investigated scientifically and builders, homeowners and window cleaning personnel should be aware of the subject.

All of the above mentioned types of glass can be cleaned and cared for easily by a trained window cleaning professional, as well as an informed homeowner. Please feel free to read our articles on how to clean windows for more information, and if you have any questions please feel free to call us or email us at any time and we would be happy to talk to you.

Coronado Window Cleaning Services

Are you a homeowner looking for professional window cleaning? Several of your neighbors are our clients, and we take good care of their window cleaning, pressure washing and rain gutter cleaning needs.

Coronado Island is home to some very unique homes. The majority of which have french style windows (usually in a grid pattern) that compliments the style of the house. Several have stellar views of the bay, or of the beautiful San Diego skyline. The type of windows, these french style panes, often take longer to clean than it would for a traditional double hung window (one large pane of glass) if your window cleaner uses traditional methods to clean with such as using a squeegee.

If you have not heard of pure water window cleaning, behold…the wave of the future! For these types of windows, for the exterior cleaning, Elite uses a water fed pole to clean your windows. The purified water go’s thru the pole, and thru a special brush that cleans not only the glass, but also the frames and sills on the outside so much better than traditional methods that the majority of our clients request this method the most. The reason being that not only does the glass get cleaned, but also the frames as well! With traditional cleaning, usually the frame is just wiped down with a rag or towel. This way, everything is cleaned at the same time with no marks at all!

Not only is it more efficient, but it saves about 50 to 60% more time on the exterior cleaning which will lower the cost to our clients, and have our technicians finished so you can enjoy the fresh new view from your home.

So give us a call today, and find out why Elite is the obvious choice to take care of the window cleaning for your beautiful Coronado home.

Be sure to ask about our full package specials for all 3 services of cleaning your windows, pressure washing your home, or cleaning out those rain gutters and even installing Rain Flow so you never have to get your rain gutters cleaned again.

Exclusive Window Cleaning Service

Rancho San Diego is the birthplace of some of the best homes in San Diego, with breathtaking views and lush landscapes. Those of you who live there take great pride in your home and who you hire to service it. No doubt enjoying the privacy that your community provides.

Does this describe you?

If meticulous results and unmatched customer service in a window cleaning service provider is what you are searching for, then you have just found the company that hundreds of your neighbors use and trust for window cleaning, rain gutter cleaning and pressure washing.

What makes our window cleaning service exclusive?

Our client base. Elite serves many CEO’s, and other high profile personalities in San Diego and their vacation homes.

Guaranteed results or you don’t pay. If you ever feel that our workmanship you receive simply is not the highest level possible, you simply don’t pay.

Total Peace of Mind. Elite carries 2 million dollar general liability insurance, 1 million dollar commercial auto insurance and workman’s compensation. We perform full background checks on all staff. All staff wear professional uniforms, so you will always know who is on your property. No longer will you need to worry about someone getting hurt on your property, and if you will be held responsible.

Just for your area, of Rancho San Diego, you also have an exclusive offer. If you call or email for an estimate, your first service will have a free upgrade to the premium package for any service you choose, priced on the basic package rates. This offer is given so we can show you just how we can help you with your service needs.

For more information on the methods we use to clean your windows, or how we clean rain gutters please see the appropriate pages on this site. Call or email today, and find out why Elite Window Washing creates customers for life.

Keep Your Windows Cleaner Longer!

How is this possible? Glad you asked.  All building owners and property managers want to reduce costs of maintenance, as much as possible, without sacrificing quality. Its a constant search, for the homeowner as well. There is a new product on the market that uses nantechnology to actually keep your windows clean longer, and keeps silicates and hard water stains from forming for up to 2 years. Amazing right?

How the product works in a nutshell is this; first it removes the stain, then fills the pores in the glass, polish’s the glass, and then turns the glass hydrophilic (wate loving).

So how does this help you and save you money? Once the product is applied correctly, your windows will look good as new, all the stains will be gone, and instead of the stains re-appearing in 5 to 8 months, they will continue to look great for at least 2 years. The window cleaning company that does the windows for your building or home will take much less time cleaning that glass and you may be able to have the service down to 2 times a year as opposed to 4.

So, lets say if you are a property manager, you are paying 2000.00 for window cleaning every time your company cleans. Thats 8000.00 a year. If you had this treatment done for your windows, and had to pay say…4000.oo. and it lasted for 2 years (the treatment) and cut your service to twice per year, you would save 6000.00 in window cleaning costs that could go towards other projects.

So, not only does it save money but it really makes the glass look and stay cleaner.

How does it work? This product was developed using the same technology that is used for polishing high-end optics, lithography and laser lenses. Using chemical and mechanical polishing mechanisms, the NanoUltra products are able to remove tough organic and inorganic stains consequently leaving the architectural galss surface smooth and defect free. A transparent protection is added that creates a self-maintaining surface, much different than the coatings offered by glass manufacturers that offer self cleaning glass that requires UV rays and rain water to clean with.

The second step to this 2 part process which makes the glass hydrophilic is the best part. When water hits the glass, instead of beading, it runs off in a sort of sheeting action, and dry’s faster without spotting (if the windows do not have much dust on them).

If you take a look at the photo on the top left side of this post you will see how the stuff works. Truely an amazing product. If you are a property manager, building owner or a homeowner and are interested in having this applied to your windows, please feel free to give us a call or send us a message on the Estimates page and we can tell you more and how much it will cost.

     If you asked any window cleaner specializing in high rise and other large commercial buildings what they think building owners and facility managers expect of them, they will tick off a litany of things – from clean glass to insurance coverage. 

    Wouldn’t it be nice to hear it first hand? Well, we did. With a collaboration of many different managers and owners, we found out that what they said was pretty much what the window cleaners’ perspective is. But, more was said by them that gives a very interesting and important look into their thinking. With this information, as a window cleaner, we can form our business in such a way that we can give them EXACTLY what they are looking for. A growing number of large property managers find it more cost effective to outsource just about everything, not only window cleaning but management for the entire building. Saftey was also a subject that ranked very high on the things talked about.

    Many building owners do have facility managers on staff who manage and maintain their buildings, but owners of a number of the larger buildings contract with commercial real estate management companies, or janitorial companies…they both subcontract out for window cleaning and other janitorial work.

Choosing a Vendor

     Many of the major commercial real estate management companies perform the same tasks as a facility director, managing all building operations from who stocks the toilet paper to security of the building and the general maintenance. Of course, to sum it up in one sentence does not really do their job justice…because those of you who have dealt with managers, I am sure you have noticed that they are always busy. There is always a “fire” that needs to be put out. So, that being said, they have a very high set of standards. Of the facility managers that I have spoken to, several of them chimed the same song, so to sum it up; the first thing that is considered when they choose a vendor or a service provider no matter what it is, is if they are comfortable with them. Have they worked with them before? How was the turnover? Were the jobs done in a timely manner, on time and efficient? Were they disruptive to their tenants? Were they competitive in their pricing? Any issues with their insurance certs? Did they comply with the local laws, and state laws and/or OSHA? Were they professional in appearance and in their mannerisms?

    One said that when they start the bidding process, they do NOT always recommend the lowest bid. That it is mainly about seeing where the bids are in relation to each other. Sometimes money is a factor, but most times it is not THE deciding factor. As noted above, there are other issues at stake besides the money.

     In addition to clean glass, what else do building management companies expect? If the vendor commits to a certain scope of work, they expect that scope of work to be accomplished.

Safety First

One such facility manager here in San Diego related; “What I like to know first of all is their approach to safety. If the first question they ask is Where is the building’s OPOS, then I know that safety is key for them. I want to know how they train their people. I want to know their incident rate and what they are doing to keep that down. Next is weather or not they are able to actually do the job that they are looking to bid on. Can they handle the scope of work? Last but not least, what is the quality of their work that they put out and how good is their customer service?” The last thing that any property manager wants at their building is to see it on the 6 o’clock news and the main story being a tragic accident. Even though that would be bad publicity, nobody wants to have people injured on any of their jobs. He go’s on to say; “the vendor we choose we see as part of our team. Communication is key, and if it is done right no one will be put in a position where people can be hurt.”

    “Any evidence that demonstrates that a window cleaner is sincere about safety is a big plus,” says Dave Johnston of the Building Owners and Manager’s Association International (BOMA) which represents building owners, managers, developers, leasing professionals and providers of the products and services needed to operate commercial properties. “Evidence of safety training for workers, a work plan for the specific building, and evidence of the window cleaner’s sfety plan will show the building manager that the window cleaning firm is dedicated to the tasks of cleaning the windows and to provide safe conditions for the window cleaners,” says Johnston. “Building managers and owners do need to look at references, safety record, managerial background, experience in like type of work, evidence of insurance, accommodation of and courtesty to tenants as well as price. At the end of the day, a quality job is going to bring the wndow cleaner back to the building,” he says.

Professional Appearance

     Based on what I have heard from the building owners and property managers alike, the window cleaning company’s image is of the utmost importance. From individual appearance and courtesy, to clean and professionally lettered uniforms and trucks, image rands there with a great quality job. The buildings that they own are top of the line, and they expect their vendors to look and act like it and like they belong there. Using name tags is a good idea, being as some of the buildings where we clean the windows at, the tenants have trade secrets, and they want to know who is in the building.

I Need A Window Cleaner!

So Who Do I Choose?

I just don’t know

When we go to find a service company, no matter what the service is; landscaping, housekeeping, window cleaning, painting, plumbing…usually we don’t know who to trust exactly. So what do we do? We talk to our family and friends to see who they use and if they can recommend someone THEY trust isn’t that right? If we still are unsure, then we look on the internet, and try to decide out of the multitude on the web. Which is a difficult task, given how hard it is to find or see personality thru a webpage. Weather or not the company is trusted by others, or will even do what they say they will do.

    The first thing we can do, while we are searching on the web, is find out to see if the company can be trusted. So how do you do that? A simple Google search with the word complaint after the company name should turn up results if the customer was so angry that they posted about their experience. At times that may not be good enough, as there are many people like myself that does not have the time to write bad reviews and will instead simply never use them ever again.

     So, trying to find out who they are or their company can be as simple as checking with your local BBB. If they are not listed or a member, if you call them and ask about the company if they have had problems or complaints, then they will tell you about it.

    When you are ready for the next step, give them a call, and send them an email. If they do not pick up the phone, leave a message. If they do not return your call in an hour; call someone else. Even if they are busy and email you later that night, you will at least have another company to compare professionalism to. If they don’t emal you or return your call…keep searching and don’t hire them even if they call you the next day. Why? Because if their communication is that bad at the beginning, you can expect the same treatment down the line, and who wants to give someone their hard earned money when they treat you as tho you owe them something?

     So now you have chosen based on professional customer service. Now comes the quality of the work. This really is the easy part. Because, if someone is professional enough to return calls, have nice uniforms, are well manered and punctual…then more than likey they know what they are doing and the quality SHOULD be top notch. Which is why your interview process is alittle rigorous.

     One thing you should ask, is if their work is gauranteed. Meaning, if you are not happy, will they MAKE you happy by fixing the problem and if its not remedied, do you still have to pay? The answer should be NO. Not a penny.

So there you have it. A sure fire way to hire a professional service company. I hope this information helps and hope you have great experiences.