Well-lubricated and well-maintained cars perform better and last longer. Just as we want our wheels to be free of dirt, we want our solar panels to be as clean and efficient as new.
After you have compared many vendors and then worked hard to get them installed on your home, do you think it’s all over? Of course not, a solar panel system is a major investment that has cost you money, so it needs to be maintained to ensure that it will last longer, and this includes having to clean the panels every so often.
Is there any harm in not cleaning? Why is it important to clean the solar panels?
Yes, there are a lot of serious problems with not cleaning the panels regularly:
1. Energy loss:
CleanTechnica reported the results of an analysis collected by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which showed that the total loss of panels is about 30% if they are not cleaned properly.
If you fail to perform the required maintenance on your panels for two years, the percentage of energy that could be lost per quarter is as follows:
Year 1, quarter 1: 5% energy loss
Year 1, quarter 2: 10% energy loss
Year 1, Q3: 15% energy loss
Year 1, Q4: 20% energy loss
Year 2, Q1: 25% energy loss
Year 2, Q2: 30% energy loss
Year 2, Q3: 35% energy loss
Year 2, Q4: 35% energy loss
2. Damage to the solar panel itself:
As a result of prolonged periods of uncleanliness, a large amount of dust, bird droppings, leaves, and even rainwater accumulates on the photovoltaic panel. The inside of the PV panel will be unevenly heated, resulting in a hot spoteffect that damages power consumption. This will significantly reduce the service life of the solar panels;
3. Unattractive:
dirty solar panelscovered with duston the roof not only affect the overall beauty of the building, but also give people a feeling of untidy and not paying attention to the environment. As a new type of energy utilization, the application of solar panels should have become a beautiful landscape, but these unattractive solar panels make this beautiful scenery disappear.
To summarize, cleaning solar panels is necessary.
How to clean solar panels?
1. Areas requiring frequent maintenance and cleaning of solar panels:
- Polluted areas Solar panelsinstalled in heavily polluted areas, especially near factories, highways, or airports, can experience significant atmospheric fouling and oil buildup.
- Heavily wooded areas. Installations with many trees nearby may have more leaves falling on the panels, blocking the absorption of sunlight. Trees can also attract birds, which can lead to a buildup of feces, shading the PV cells and damaging the surface due to acidity, which can reduce efficiency.
- Desert areas. Areas with dry, mountainous, and dusty climates have high accumulations of sand on solar panels, blocking light and scratching the surface.
- The best time to clean solar panels:Pollution is usually higher in winter because cold air is closer to the ground than warm air in summer, so pollutants build up more easily.
This means that spring is the best time of year to clean solar panels, which can become too hot to touch in the summer. The best time of day to clean them is in the morning or evening, when they are cooler.
2. The best time to clean solar panels:
Pollution is usually higher in winter because cold air is closer to the ground than warm air in summer, so pollutants build up more easily.
This means that spring is the best time of year to clean solar panels, which can become too hot to touch in the summer. The best time of day to clean them is in the morning or evening, when they are cooler.
3. Tools:
To try cleaning your solar panels yourself, you should be able to find materials suitable for use at home. For best results and to ensure that you don’t scratch your solar panel in any way, simply use water and a soft, non-abrasive sponge or cloth to remove dirt and debris.
Dry with a rubber broom or chamois as you would with window glass or when washing your car to avoid leaving a residue. If you need to use soap, don’t use anything stronger or harsher than dishwashing detergent.
It’s best to use soaps that are eco-friendly and chemical-free, as they won’t harm your plants or animals when splashed from the roof, and they won’t leave behind a nasty residue that could mark your panels.
4. CAUTION:
Please keep this in mind in order to avoid damaging the panel when cleaning it yourself:
(1) You should first shut down the operating system. Be sure to turn off the AC and DC isolators, as liquids and electricity will conduct electricity.
(2) Do not use harsh soaps, such as strong detergents or soaps containing chemicals, as they can corrode the surface of the solar panel unit.
(3) Do not use rough cleaning tools, such as emery cloths, sponges, or thick-toothed brooms, which may scratch the surface of the panel;
(4) Do not stand on the solar panels, as the weight may cause them to break;
(5) Don’t forget to check your panel regularly.
5. Good mounting angles help solar panels stay cleaner:
Panels installed at an angle are more susceptible to being cleaned by rainwater runoff than panels installed on a flat surface, where water collects in the pool and leaves a residue.
The appropriate placement angle for photovoltaic panel installation is 45 degrees, due south.
PV panel mounting angle calculation method:
Azimuth = (peak moment of load in a day (24-hour system) – 12) x 15 + (longitude – 116)
Maysun has been serving various countries since 2008, and its products have entered thousands of homes. Maysun’s relationships with local installers across Europe allow us to provide you with the highest quality, most cost-effective solar panels, as well as the most detailed solar panel installation and maintenance guides.
With Maysun Solar, we have a wide variety of shingled, half-cut, black frame, full black, silver frame solar panels to choose from, which have excellent performance and stylish design to blend in perfectly with any building. Maysun Solar has successfully established offices, warehouses, and long term relationships with excellent installers in many countries! We offer the most convenient solar panels to install as well as future cleaning and maintenance. Please feel free to contact us for an up-to-date quote on modules or any PV-related inquiries.
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