Cleaning solar panels

Moreilly

Had a look at my panels this morning and they look fairly filthy with a good build up of dust ect.., with the good weather recently and no rain they are not getting cleaned off - so just wondering how people clean there panels when the need it? I'm assuming water only? Was thinking of getting one of those telescopic window cleaning brooms with a sponge on the end from Amazon and rip tie the hose to it or something!! (Although still managed to get 58.4 kWh yesterday!!)

bullit_dodger

I did mine one the shed there at the weekend. Normal warmish water (done at the end of the day when the panels weren't hot to reduce the risk of thermal shock) - don't know if it made any difference, but it made me feel better not seeing the bird shite on them. :-)

slave1

I've this planned for some evening too, ph neutral car shampoo in a bucket of warm water and a telescopic window cleaning broom

Moreilly

Just ordered one of these ! , I'll ring something together!! https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0BQBBKTPF?ref=ppx_pt2_mob_b_prod_image

graememk

Rain will come soon enough 😂

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659053#Comment_120659053

I'd be in the same camp as that. Why do today what you can put off - until it rains :)

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120659322#Comment_120659322

Finished silage today, uncles tomorrow, haylage baling on Thursday, and hay on Friday. Forecast is dry into next week.

JayBee66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058298501/cleaning-solar-panels

I go up on a ladder and spray them with a hose. Yes, I have a bungalow but I'd go up a two storey on a ladder too.

I might be paranoid (actually, I am) but rubbing the "glass" with anything might introduce scratches, which may produce problems at a later date. Even a sponge might gather up a piece of grit that will be rubbed over the whole panel.

slave1

How to clean solar panels: 5 tried and tested ways — RatedPower

jkforde

just washed mine with a power washer with a gentle rain-like spray, got most of the dust off. it'll be interesting to compare peak output today to yesterday.

update.. it made a marginal positive difference, maybe+200W.. so at least now I know, not going to worry about it!

jkforde

duly cleaned by Mother Nature... 🌩️⚡⛈️

alexago

I installed solar panels only a month ago, so I haven't cleaned them yet. But I read that it is important to clean them so they can perform better. I think I'll address the posigen customer support by link and ask about it. They are suppsoed to know what exactly I need to do.

unkel

You don't need to clean solar panels unless they are mounted flat or near flat. The rain will sort them. I have near flat panels on my shed and I usually go up once a year or so to hose down the dust

Silent Running

I clean my panels 3 to 4 times a year using a 10m pole and a lambswool cleaning head. Rain definitely does not clean them! The angle of the panels is 40 degrees.

Spot the bit I missed 😁 This was two days after some very heavy rain.

I got the pole kit from Amazon and have made some attachments for it... a scraper to dislodge moss from between the slates, a saw so I can trim branches up to 10m high, a rope operated snipper for the lighter branches, a gutter cleaning thing and a stiff brush to get the tree sap off the shed roof. As I find a need to reach that high, I make an attachment to snap on to the poles.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302560#Comment_121302560

Storm Ciaran will clean mine this week :)

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303101#Comment_121303101

Mines in 3 years in jan, havent been up near them since they went up, Aint gonna be reaching them with a pole either, Was the full reach of the telehandler to get them up there! Relatively flat, walkable roof when you actually get up there. Still performing as well as they went in.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303149#Comment_121303149

+1 on that, mine are on nearly 2 years and no performance issues with them and never been cleaned. I think people over think it.

JayBee66

Simply. Don't. No matter what you rub them with, you could drag a piece of grit over the panels and introduce faults; such as hot spots, which will degrade performance. This is Ireland, the rain will come.

Maybe there should be a pinned thread on Renewable Energies with a simple message, "Don't bother. The rain will come."

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304525#Comment_121304525

:)