cleaning solar panels

[Kryten]

Got a 40kwh roof mounted system, three years old now performing better than expected. The panels don't look too dirty but my question is has anyone out there cleaned their panels yet and has it made any difference? Normally if I embark on a project like this I start one job and create three more so I wonder if I should just leave well alone :O)

 

[chickens and wheat]

http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?11813-Solar-Output-The-Best-Day-Since

 

[Chickcatcher]

http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?11813-Solar-Output-The-Best-Day-Since

Treble you did well to remember that, having read it again I had forgotten what knowledge I had then.

 

[Ritchie]

Got the window washing kit 500 liter tank and Di water, would come and do them for £1 a panel if you were closer.


Ritchie

 

[mushnt grummmble]

wait for god to pee on them

 

[Ritchie]

What do you mean, god's been peeing on ours and they still look dirty, get about 120" of it here, i'll be up on the roof cleaning them when i get a chance.

Ritchie

 

[humblefarmer]

Cleaned all ours, noticeable improvement.

They used deionised water and long poles, did 64 kW on 6 roofs in less than a day

 

[Ritchie]

Got all that, how much do they charge ??
Per panel.
Per hour.
Per day.
With window cleanung you need to be about the £40 per hour with this kit or you might as well stay at home.

Ritchie

 

[humblefarmer]

Just worked it out, £1.40 / panel but it will be less next time as they did it quicker than they thought.

 

[Ritchie]

Thanks, good to know.


Ritchie

 

[humblefarmer]

Its down to roof size IMHO. they were all good size so they didn't spend long faffing about moving pipes etc. will remind him of this next time they come out!

 

[Ritchie]

Got them done this afternoon


Ritchie

 

[Exfarmer]

I think it would be wise doing them later in the spring so you have nice clean panels going into the high production months.
I am just waiting for a demonstration of the Karcher twin spinning brush system. Will post my views on it when it arrives.

 

[Ritchie]

They had not been done since they were erected early summer 2013 some bird poop and grime on them even though we get plenty of rain ( 120" annualy ) i thought that they would have been cleaner. So when it comes to our drier weather around end of April i'll do them again.
Oh, and for the wiseguys who'll say we should have gone for a Hydro, here it is:

http://www.greenearthhydro.co.uk/downloads/Case Study Ysbyty Ifan (75kW) V2.pdf

Ritchie

 

[Solar Steve]

Hi. This contains data about output increases from solar panel cleaning. You may find this interesting: http://www.solar-panel-cleaners.com...large-increase-in-output-on-lincolnshire-farm

 

[Ritchie]

Some research into this brings up some intresting material
http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2009/07/should-you-spring-clean-your-solar.html
Known of this for some time but it seems as if only google did the research and everybody's using it.
Why do you think i got the gear

Ritchie

 

[Exfarmer]

The balance is the increase in output compared to the cost.
with some contractors quoting a £1 per panel it is questionable whether this will be repaid.
I am certain angle of roof, as google found, plays a large part
My own house panels are performing at a similar rate to when they were installed 4 years ago, but they are at 50 something degrees.
The huge performance difference day to day and even year to year makes any meaningful before and after comparison, difficult.

 

[Solar Steve]

Hi Exfarmer. Your concerns are valid regarding the cost/benefit ratio. Our prices have been structured to be value for money for our clients. There is little point spending £100.00 having the panels cleaned for an extra £80.00 in added output.

The angle of your house panels will be much different to your farm roof. The farm roof panels will without doubt benefit from at least an annual clean. We clean some farms 3 or 4 times a year because they have worked out the cost/benefit ratio and still see this cleaning schedule to be worthwhile.

Agricultural-based arrays get the dirtiest and will need cleaning frequently.
If you have your panels monitored, please contact us and we can talk you through how you will be able to accurately measure the difference that cleaning will bring.