Columbus Solar Farm Cleaning
Can Solar Farm Cleaning 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 as high as 60% and on residential arrays of up to 25%.
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 annually. 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.
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 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’s windshield. If you didn’t clean your windshield 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 windshield wipers, we clean the center 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 windshield because they are both exposed to the same elements. Visibility through your windshield is lost due to the loss of light. Therefore, the same principles hold true for solar panel cleaning. It is very important to maximize the light getting into the solar panel and in turn, increase your financial reward.