Solar panel cleaning
Only where it pays: bird fouling, traffic film, flat or shallow roofs. If yours doesn't need it, we will say so.
Solar panel cleaning and servicing in London
DB Energy cleans, services, repairs and bird-proofs solar panels across London, on homes and commercial roofs, including systems we did not install. We are MCS certified, based in Warrington, take servicing work across the UK, and reply to every enquiry within two working days.
How we cover London
We take work in every part of Greater London, inner and outer boroughs alike. We are based in Warrington, not London, and we don't have a London office. Each London visit is planned around the job: what the system is, how the roof is reached, and whether anything has to be booked with the council first.
The quickest start is a photo of the panels on WhatsApp, or a call on 0800 772 3611. Tell us what you are seeing and we will tell you whether it needs a visit at all.
What London roofs mean for upkeep
Most Londoners live in flats. At the 2021 Census, 54% of London households lived in a flat, maisonette or apartment, more than double the share in any other English region. Panels on a block usually sit on a flat roof reached through a hatch, and the freeholder or managing agent controls the access. So the first conversation about a fault or a clean is often with them, not with a resident.
Traffic film, not just dust. Road transport is the largest single source of fine particulate pollution in London, according to the Greater London Authority. Near busy roads that leaves a grey film that rain does not fully shift, and it builds fastest on flat and low-pitched arrays, where water runs off slowly. So arrays near main roads are likely to need two cleans a year rather than one.
Pigeons under the panels. Birds nesting under an array are the most common genuine reason a home system needs cleaning, and they keep coming back until the gap is closed. Bird proofing closes it with mesh around the edge of the array. An active nest is protected by law and cannot be disturbed while it is in use, so we check first and time the work around it.
Scaffolding can need a council licence. If the only safe way onto a roof is scaffolding standing on the pavement or road, the borough has to licence it first. Hammersmith and Fulham, for example, requires a licence for any scaffolding on the public highway. That adds lead time, which is one more reason we inspect, clean and proof in one visit wherever we can.
What we do in London
Bird proofing
Mesh fitted around the array to keep pigeons out. A typical home costs £400 to £800.
Servicing, repairs and inverters
A routine home service costs around £200 to £300. A replacement inverter typically costs £1,200 to £2,000 fitted. Systems we didn't install are welcome.
Blocks, offices and warehouses
Scheduled maintenance for commercial roofs and residential blocks, with risk assessments and method statements before anyone goes up.
Your network operator in London
How grid approval worksLondon's local electricity network is run by UK Power Networks. Inner London is its London Power Networks area; parts of north London fall in its Eastern Power Networks area and south London in its South Eastern Power Networks area. On some newer developments the local network belongs to an independent operator instead, so we check your postcode before any work that has to be notified.
Cleaning and bird proofing never involve the network operator. Some repairs can, such as changing an inverter or adding a battery, and we deal with the operator for you as part of the job.
Questions from London customers
Who offers solar panel cleaning and servicing in London?
DB Energy does, for homes and businesses across Greater London, including systems another company installed. We are MCS certified (NIC-601172) and a RECC member (00075024), we are based in Warrington, and we reply to every enquiry within two working days.
My panels are on a block of flats. Who should I contact first?
Start with the freeholder or managing agent, because they control access to the roof. We are happy to deal with them directly, and to work to their access, insurance and paperwork requirements.
Do I need a council licence for scaffolding to get to my panels?
Only if the scaffolding has to stand on the pavement or road; then the borough must licence it first, which adds time. Whether your roof needs scaffolding at all depends on how it can be reached, and we tell you which applies once we have seen a photo.
Is London grime a good reason to have panels cleaned?
Yes. A film from nearby traffic builds up most on flat and shallow-pitched arrays and doesn't always rinse off in the rain, so those arrays are likely to need two cleans a year. On a steep roof away from a main road, one may be enough. We recommend one to two a year, depending on the area and your panel warranty.
Send us a photo of your panels
Tell us what you are seeing (droppings, pigeons, an error light or a drop in generation) and we will tell you what it needs, roughly what it costs, and whether it is worth doing at all.