Solar Panel Cleaning

Installing a Photovoltaic (PV) system represents a huge investment, but one that many feel is worth the price both financially and environmentally:

• PV systems convert sunlight into electricity without producing air pollution or hazardous wastes. In a typical year, fossil fuel plants produce 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, as million tons of sulfur dioxide, and 7 million tons of nitrogen oxides. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), each kilowatt of PV-generated energy replaces 830 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 1,500 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 217,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
• PV systems are increasing in their flexibility, filling needs from the low demand of a calculator or single home to an entire city or town. The cost for solar power is still higher than the fossil fuel alternative, but with the improving technologies that gap is narrowing.

As solar power begins to take hold, consumers will need to protect that investment much like their home and automobile and take measures to keep the system in top condition so that it can perform at peak levels.

Solar Panel Cleaning Maintains Efficiency

Dirty solar panels result in power loss as grime and debris detract from the solar array’s ability to perform at full capacity:

• Solar arrays are comprised of several solar modules, wired together, which are made up of solar cells.
• Solar cells are semiconductor materials (e.g. silicon), with one side positive and the other side negative.
• When the light from the sun hits the solar cell, the electrons in the solar cell are “excited” thereby releasing energy in the form of electricity.
• Dirty cells mean less sunlight is able to be absorbed and thus less electricity is produced. This loss of energy could reach 25 to 30 percent.

Methods of Cleaning Solar Panels

Solar panels can be cleaned either manually or through use of an automatic cleaning system:

• Manual Cleaning: Solar panels can be cleaned by applying warm water and dish washing soap to the glass surface and frame. There are a number of risks associated with this approach, namely personal injury and potential damage to the panels.
• Automatic Cleaning: There are a number of automatic systems available, all requiring professional installation. However, once in place, the only action required of the homeowner or operator is to periodically refill the soap concentrate and replace the filter.

Two automatic systems are presented as illustrations of the type of maintenance required to maintain peak solar power efficiency:

• Heliotex Automatic Cleaning System: Suited for any size system from small residential to large industrial applications, this system is fully programmable to wash (soap and water) or rinse (water only) at any specified frequency. It uses low-volume spray nozzles, connected to each panel, an existing water supply and a programmable controller. The standard recommendation is that solar panels be washed every one to two weeks, using a biodegradable soap concentrate, and rinsed every two to three days. In this way the buildup of dirt and debris will be minimal.
• Industrial Cleaning Systems: Used for 100 kilowatt installations or larger, these systems work similar to the residential systems. One of the more common systems, Solar Wash, also requires that nozzles be attached to the array of each solar panel, and run by microprocessor, spray and wash the panels. This system uses a programmable logic controller along with a web-based software interface, allowing the operator to schedule or initiate a washing cycle by merely touching a button.

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3. energyauthority says:

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