Why wildfire ash is different
- Heavier accumulation than dust or pollen — sometimes 5x as much in a single event
- Mildly acidic / alkaline chemistry depending on what burned — can etch the AR coating on the panel glass over time
- Bakes onto glass under heat — sunlight + temperature turns loose ash into a varnish-like layer within 7–14 days
- Contains uncombusted residue from burned structures (treated wood, plastics, drywall) — different from forest ash alone
Why same-week matters
Loose ash washes off easily with soft-brush + softened water. Baked-on ash requires multiple passes, and even then sometimes can't be fully removed without abrasion (which damages the AR coating). The longer ash sits in the sun, the harder it bakes. Cleaning within 7 days of a major smoke event is typically a one-pass clean; waiting 21 days can require a deeper service with no guarantee of full recovery.
What the emergency clean includes
- Same-week dispatch (typically within 5 business days of booking; faster for plan customers)
- Soft-brush + softened-water clean with multiple passes if needed
- Visual inspection for ash-impact damage
- Microcrack thermal scan if visible damage is suspected ($50 add-on)
- Post-clean monitoring screenshot showing production recovery
- Surcharge over standard clean reflects: priority scheduling, additional time, additional water
Quarterly plan customers — priority dispatch
The seasonal quarterly plan reserves Visit 3 (September) as a fire-season emergency visit. After any major smoke event in your area, plan customers are dispatched within 5 business days — ahead of one-time-clean requests. The $59 plan visit covers the entire emergency clean. The $60 surcharge applies only to non-plan customers.
Don't try to pressure-wash ash off yourself or with a generalist cleaner. Ash + pressure = etched glass + voided warranty. The most expensive mistake a solar owner can make after a smoke event is calling a regular pressure-wash operator who doesn't know what panels can survive. Network specialists do this right.