Why Clean Solar Panels?
Solar panels work by allowing light into the solar cells. The more light that hits a panel, the more power it will generate.
Due to the upwards angle of solar panels, they are more prone to bird droppings and a build-up of general dust and dirt that does not wash off with just rain. This reduces the amount of light hitting the panel and reduces its output. As the projected energy figures claimed by solar panel manufacturers and installers are based on the optimum performance of clean solar panels, this build-up of dirt can adversely affect the panel’s ability to meet those projections. So it is important to clean solar panels in order to protect and maintain your investment. Regular solar panel cleaning will also help you to make the most of the government feed-in tariff.
While solar panel cleaning in the UK is relatively new, in other parts of the world solar panel cleaning has been around for a long time. Early adopters of the technology soon realised that if their solar panels were not cleaned regularly, they would not run at their optimum performance. There has been study in the U.S. suggesting solar panel cleaning is not necessary in some of their climate, but it is proved that solar panel cleaning is necessary in the UK.
Why Clean Solar Panels
Can it Improve Efficiency?
We have for years now, been monitoring the increases in efficiency that solar panel cleaning can bring. We frequently see sizeable increases of solar efficiency on agricultural sites, of up to 30%. This has been proved by clients who have sent readings to prove solar panel cleaning has increased the output and efficiency of their array. Operations & maintenance departments of solar companies that we have cleaned solar panels for have also reported similar increases in efficiency from solar panel cleaning.
On industrial and commercial sites, we have seen increases of up to 60% and on residential arrays of up to 21%.
Our own findings are confirmed by the World Academy of Science, Engineering & Technology, who say “a drop in the efficiency of a solar PV panel is not desired. One of the contributing factors in the drop of efficiency in solar PV panels is the accumulated dust on the solar panel. In practice, dust must be removed from the surface of solar PV panels in order to ensure highest performance.” Solar Energy Power Association notes that dirty solar panels can lose 20% of their energy output. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory puts that figure even higher, at 25%. Recent university research has shown that a dirty solar panel can lose 50% of it’s efficiency compared to a clean solar panel.
Why Clean Solar Panels
Your Warranty
Some solar panel manufacturers and installation companies have made solar panel cleaning a condition of their warranty. Should you have problems with your solar panels, if you do not have proof of regular solar panel cleaning by professionals, your solar panels may not be covered by the warranty. We have made a comparison of solar panel warranties and the message is the same, get your solar panels cleaned.
Why Clean Solar Panels
Why Rainwater Will Not Clean Your Solar Panels
A good way to illustrate why rainwater will not clean solar panels is by looking at your car windscreen. If you didn’t clean your windscreen for 6 months, how much visibility would you lose? If left, the grime on your windscreen would accumulate and eventually ‘green’ over. Even if the car is rained on, the rain contains airborne dust particles that settle and attach to the surface after the rainwater evaporates. When we use our windscreen wipers, we clean the centre of the screen, but where the wipers do not reach, there is a film of dirt. The whole of your solar panel is in exactly the same condition as the edge of your car windscreen because they are both exposed to the same elements. Visibility through your windscreen is lost due to the loss of light. Therefore, the same principles hold true for solar panel cleaning. It is very important to maximise the light getting into the solar panel and in turn, increase your financial reward.
Why Clean Solar Panels
Why use Clean Solar Solutions Ltd?
We are one of the most experienced solar panel cleaning companies in the whole of the UK, our whole business is solar panel cleaning. We have equipped ourselves with professional solar panel cleaning equipment, know how to clean solar panels safely and effectively and have positioned ourselves to offer a high quality professional solar panel cleaning service. We are fully insured specifically for solar panel cleaning. Because health & safety is of paramount importance when dealing with solar panels, we hold an IPAF cherry-picker license which enables us to hire access machinery up to a height of 110ft. From these access platforms we can work safely and clean your solar panels without having to set foot on the roof at all. This is not necessary for residential solar panel installations, but invaluable to commercial solar panel installations. We are able to safely reach and clean virtually all solar panel arrays.
So in conclusion, why clean solar panels? Solar panels are prone to accumulating dirt. Why is solar panel cleaning important? Solar panel cleaning keeps your warranty in tact, helps your solar panels produce the maximum electricity and importantly, saves you more money in the long-term.
Google’s Solar Panel Cleaning Research
In California, technology giant Google has a 1.6 mW solar panel installation. The research they carried out on their own equipment reached a clear conclusion that dirty solar panels will have a negative impact on their performance. Fifteen months after their solar panel array had been installed, they experimented with solar panel cleaning. After the first session of solar panel cleaning, their output doubled on some solar panels. Eight months later, they had their second session of solar panel cleaning and the solar panel efficiency increased again by 36%. After having solar panel cleaning, all of Google’s solar panels increased their output by at least 12%
