How do you clear a solar panel?

[inetdog]

Just send a Redneck up there with a case of beer. He will gladly hose them down for free.

I can just imagine said Redneck (not you, of course) finding a nick in the insulation of a 400V string....
It is a good maintenance test as well as cleaning.

[Sunking]

I think dust seems like more of a problem than it really is. At our state radio sites, we never clean the panels and it's never been an issue. I don't think it's ever even been discussed.
At the end of summer I had a brown layer of filth on my home array, and after hosing them off the output was 5% higher.
I don't think I'll ever bother to clean them again, I'll just let the rain do it.

Just send a Redneck up there with a case of beer. He will gladly hose them down for free.

[J.P.M.]

I think dust seems like more of a problem than it really is. At our state radio sites, we never clean the panels and it's never been an issue. I don't think it's ever even been discussed.
At the end of summer I had a brown layer of filth on my home array, and after hosing them off the output was 5% higher.
I don't think I'll ever bother to clean them again, I'll just let the rain do it.

I've been attempting to keep track of my array's fouling for over a year now. As an educated guess, my array fouls at a VERY approx. rate of about 1%/week without rain. My GUESS is that the rate of fouling will become asymptotic at some point, but I've not had a rain free period long enough to verify that guess.

I was in Death Valley last year and had a lengthy discussion with the resident engineer about their 1MW array. It's been in operation for several years and they clean it on a 2 yr. schedule to get the guano off. The engineer reported no significant performance degradation.

Also, there is a 1.2 MW array within sight of my home. In 4 years, I've not seen any activity on that array.

So, until/if ever panel fouling gets a quantitative determination, it may well be the great unresolved question in solar energy applications.

[sdold]

I think dust seems like more of a problem than it really is. At our state radio sites, we never clean the panels and it's never been an issue. I don't think it's ever even been discussed.
At the end of summer I had a brown layer of filth on my home array, and after hosing them off the output was 5% higher.
I don't think I'll ever bother to clean them again, I'll just let the rain do it.

[J.P.M.]

Because it is summer at the moment, I suspect you mean - clean a solar panel? I recommend mounting them on a minimum 15deg tilt and just wait till it rains. Don't sue me 'cause you fell off your roof cleaning them. Yes, they will be a bit dirty at times, so install a few more of them (panels are so much cheaper now) and forget it.

If cleaning: Do NOT spray water on a hot panel. That means avoiding doing so except early morning or early evening, preferably early morning.

As for buying/installing a few more, with no disrespect intended, I'd note that comment was made by someone who seems to be a vendor.

However, such a suggestion may well make and exhibit a lot of (common) sense given most folks lax attitude and understanding of what they have and how it works. Of all the arrays in my HOA, I know of only one that gets cleaned on a regular basis, or at all.

Panel fouling rates are as variable as location, so it's hard to nail down. I'd suggest hosing an array off every month or so may be more cost effective than increasing an array size by, say 10% or so.

[solarix]

Because it is summer at the moment, I suspect you mean - clean a solar panel? I recommend mounting them on a minimum 15deg tilt and just wait till it rains. Don't sue me 'cause you fell off your roof cleaning them. Yes, they will be a bit dirty at times, so install a few more of them (panels are so much cheaper now) and forget it.

[Wy_White_Wolf]

Never heard of clearing a solar panel. Propably should explain what you mean as there looks to be a terminology problem here.

WWW

[weijing3333]

I bought a solar panel from ReneSola last year. How do you clear a solar panel?