Cladding and solar panel cleaning for industry
We clean sandwich panels, metal cladding and solar panels on large roofs with technology such as drones and robotics, using products designed for industrial facades. Nobody has to work at height, and we plan around your production.
Large surfaces and little room for downtime
A production hall or distribution centre has long facades of sandwich panels and a large flat roof, often covered in solar panels. Getting them cleaned usually means aerial work platforms (cherry pickers) along the loading bays, crews on the roof and a works area that gets in the way of logistics.
So it often doesn't happen. Dust, soot and green growth settle on the panels and in the joints, and dirt on the solar panels costs output without anyone noticing straight away.
Condition: what we see and clean
For sandwich panels and metal cladding we use products developed for industrial facades, matched to the substrate and the panel's coating. We work with softwash at low pressure, where the product does the work rather than the force of the jet, or with pressure washing up to 200 bar, depending on the panel and the dirt. Solar panels are cleaned with purified water, with the minerals removed by reverse osmosis, so it dries without limescale residue.
If you want to know where cleaning is needed first, an inspection flight maps soiling, loose elements and damaged joints. Every finding is logged on the OPPY platform, our client portal, with its location on the building.
Safety: no work at height
Working on an industrial roof or a tall facade carries real risks: falls at the roof edge, rooflights that won't take a person's weight, and aerial work platforms manoeuvring between forklifts and lorries. With a drone the pilot stays on the ground and nobody goes up on the roof. Below the drone we mark out a safety perimeter, agreed against your site traffic plan and loading bays.
Spraying from a drone, including for cleaning, falls outside the open category. It requires an operational authorisation in the specific category, the European category for higher-risk drone flights, granted by the Directorate-General Aviation of the Belgian FPS Mobility and Transport (Federal Public Service).
Financial value: no downtime, and output you can measure
For a production site, downtime is the most expensive item. We plan the job around your shifts, loading times and maintenance windows, and there is no aerial work platform or scaffolding blocking a loading bay or a traffic route.
On solar panels we'll be straight with you: on many roofs, rain does most of the work. A European study (DLR, Renewable Energy, 2024) puts the average annual soiling loss at 0.9% if rain cleans the panels perfectly, and up to 5.3% if rain removes only 10% of the dirt. Flat or low-pitch roofs, panels near farmland, railways or industry, and roofs popular with birds sit at the high end. That is where cleaning pays off most, and we check it against your own production data.
The surfaces we clean
Our method is designed for the surfaces below. Which of them we treat on your site is something we establish on a site visit or from photos.
Sandwich panels and metal cladding
Facade cleaningProfiled steel sheet, coated sandwich panels and aluminium cladding, with a product for each substrate.
Solar panels on industrial roofs
Solar panel cleaningLarge arrays on flat or low-pitch roofs, where nobody likes walking between the panels.
Silos and tanks
Drone inspectionTall, closed walls that are hard to reach without an aerial work platform or rope access. We assess each installation individually.
Windows and rooflights
Window cleaningGlass in office areas, rooflights and the glazed fronts of showrooms or reception halls.
Questions from industrial sites
Do we need to stop production?
As a rule, no. We plan around your shifts, loading times and maintenance windows, and there is no aerial work platform or scaffolding blocking a loading bay or a traffic route. We do mark out a safety perimeter below the drone. We agree it in advance against your site traffic plan and move it as the work progresses, so forklifts and lorries can keep driving around it.
Can the coating on sandwich panels be damaged?
That risk exists when the pressure and the product don't suit the substrate, which is why we choose per facade between softwash at low pressure and pressure washing up to 200 bar, with products matched to the substrate and its coating. If in doubt, we can test a small, inconspicuous area first. If the coating is already weathered or damaged, you will see it in the report, with photos and its location on the facade.
Is it worth cleaning solar panels on a flat roof?
Not always, and we'll tell you so. A European study (DLR, Renewable Energy, 2024) puts the average annual soiling loss at 0.9% if rain cleans the panels perfectly, and up to 5.3% if rain removes only 10% of the dirt. Flat roofs, panels near farmland, railways or industry, and sites with many birds are at the high end. We check the numbers against your own production data.
Do you clean silos and tanks as well?
Silos and tanks are tall, closed walls that are hard to reach without an aerial work platform or rope access, which is where a drone can help. Whether we can clean a particular silo or tank depends on the material, the coating and the surroundings, such as ATEX zones or pipework around the installation. We assess that site by site.
Can you inspect first and clean afterwards?
Yes, and on large sites we recommend it. An inspection flight maps the condition of facades, roofs and solar panels: soiling, loose elements and damaged joints. From that we draw up a targeted cleaning plan, so you pay only for the zones that need it. Inspection, scheduling and cleaning sit together on the platform, building by building.
Plan maintenance around your production
In a 30-minute call we go through your site, your shifts and loading times, and what you currently pay for facade and panel maintenance.