Washington (WA)

How dirt and soiling reduce your solar output in Washington

Panel soiling — the accumulation of dust, pollen, bird droppings, and other debris — is one of the most common and fixable causes of solar energy loss. In arid regions, soiling alone can reduce output by 5–15%. Here's what you should know.

How Washington's climate affects this issue

Regular rainfall helps manage soiling naturally, though pollen, bird droppings, and mineral deposits still accumulate.

Climate

temperate

Sun hours

3.4 hrs/day

Soiling risk

low

Solar adoption

moderate

Related issues

Panel soiling

Dust, pollen, bird droppings, or debris accumulation reducing light absorption. More severe in arid or agricultural areas.

Typical loss: 215%

Self-check tip:

Visually inspect panels from ground level. If you can see a visible film or debris, cleaning may restore 2–7% production.

Check your Washington solar system

Use our free Solar Loss Checker to estimate how much energy your system in Washington may be losing.

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Based on conservative solar performance modelling and published degradation data

NRELIEA-PVPSSunSpecPVsyst+ published research

Updated April 2026 · Structured performance modelling

How we calculate →

Same issue in other states

Other issues in Washington