Why should solar panels be cleaned?
Solar panels help in converting thermal energy from the sun into electricity that can be used for all domestic, commercial and industrial purposes. The main component in producing solar energy are the solar panels. These panels need to be properly maintained and cleaned on a regular basis to ensure the efficiency of the panels to create energy does not reduce. The panels are placed in open spaces which can lead to extreme dust, debris, soiling, pollution and other contaminants that harm the face of the panel.
What are the various types of solar panel cleaning equipment’s?
- Solar panel cleaning robots: This refers to automated robots that are specifically designed to gently clean the solar panels by using a mild soap, warm water and soft bristles that are already attached to the base of the robot. Incase of large panels where manually cleaning the whole surface will be extremely difficult, these automated robots can be used as they can be controlled by a remote and the cleaning results can be achieved with low water consumption.
It has an adjustable driving speed and a self-supported brush system. It is also portable and can hence be transported easily. Since it is an automated process of cleaning, the results can be achieved about five times faster than the manual process of cleaning. It is also extremely eco friendly as it consumes much less water than the manual process. - Solar panel cleaning spray nozzles: This refers to specially designed nozzles that are installed between solar panels that spray water to clean any dust, debris or dirt that may have accumulated on the solar panels. These spray nozzles can be automated to spray water at given intervals of time in order to clean the panels on a regular basis. They do not scrub the surface of the solar panels and hence can not clean any sticky substances like bird droppings which is an extremely common occurrence. These cleaning nozzles are suitable for domestic solar panels where any sticky substances can be scrubbed off manually.
- Solar panel cleaning sprinkler: This refers to a sprinkler system that is installed between the solar panels but at a small height that helps the water to be evenly sprinkled all across the solar panel. Similar to the spray nozzles these sprinklers only distribute water and do not help in scrubbing of any sticky wastes that accumulate on the solar panel surface. The sprinklers distribute water more evenly than nozzles and can be a great tool to assist in the manual cleaning and scrubbing process.
The type of cleaning equipment that is choses for the solar panel is dependent on various factors such as the size of the panel, the area in which it is located, the amount of sticky waste that may accumulate in comparison with the dry waste such as dust and debris. Its best to get in touch with a professional to identify the frequency of cleaning and the best mode of leaning for the particular panel. There are chances of damaging or scratching the solar panels if the cleaning process is not performed in a right way and this will definitely bring down the efficiency of the solar panels.