Columbia enjoys approximately 217 sunny days per year
That’s plenty of South Carolina sunshine to power your solar panels. However, the warm, humid climate (and our infamous spring pollen season) means panels can quickly get dirty or covered in debris. Regular maintenance is essential to ensure your system keeps performing its best year-round. Rain alone often isn’t enough to wash off all the grime and sticky pollen that accumulates on panels. In fact, heavy pollen buildup can decrease solar output by up to 15% during peak season if panels aren’t cleaned – so professional cleaning makes a big difference in efficiency and savings.
A solar array coated with yellow pollen buildup.
Even after rainfall, a sticky film of pollen can remain on solar panels, significantly reducing energy output. Research in the Carolinas shows that regular cleaning is needed – rainfall alone couldn’t restore full performance, and manual cleaning yielded immediate efficiency gains.