Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: telfordwindowclnr on January 16, 2014, 10:29:42 am
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I've just finished uploading my first solar panel cleaning video to YouTube! It is only 1m 25s.
If you're interested, check it out and subscribe to our channel for new vids when they come online! We will not upload all of our jobs, so you won't be inundated. We will only do those of interest. Don't forget to 'like' it if you like it!!!
Thanks guys! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf0Heh4rxwk
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Well in true ciu fashion what a pointless video ::)roll
Only kidding mate nice job they looked quite bad, how long did that take
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Well in true ciu fashion what a pointless video ::)roll
Only kidding mate nice job they looked quite bad, how long did that take
It took 3 of us 2 days because there were 2 other arrays on the same site. We are back again in the Spring. :)
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Steve, I've been looking at this market in Germany. Looked at a few vids on Youtube. Look at how some firms work ;) Sorry that nit's in German, but check the gear!! I though WFP was all you needed :o
What do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DUlJDDziZI
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Steve, I've been looking at this market in Germany. Looked at a few vids on Youtube. Look at how some firms work ;) Sorry that nit's in German, but check the gear!! I though WFP was all you needed :o
What do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DUlJDDziZI
Like I've said before, there's loads of systems out there in the U.S., Spain and Germany. Those guys are light years ahead of us here. However, thought they may be far ahead time-wise and volume-wise, everyone is still figuring out the most effective way to clean the panels. That's why there are so many different methods....
Some of that looks a bit dangerous to me. If that green thing drops off the array, you will have a heck of a job getting it back on, let alone if it drops off the roof! :o :o :o
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Yeah, I've watched some other vids where they've used cherry pickers etc. Makes the job more expensive. WFP here is only for highrise stuff. WCing here is nothing like how it all works on domestic in UK.
I'm going to put a bit more time into looking at this solar malarky. That was a good vid of your by the way ;)
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I think you should be careful not to get an ecletic shock whilst doing that.
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Tell you what mate, if you work that fast everyday you will have severe tennis elbow ;D
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Tell you what mate, if you work that fast everyday you will have severe tennis elbow ;D
I had to slow it down and play it at half speed, just so you could see it. Otherwise it would have just been a blur! ;D
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Good video and you've got a great voice too mate :D
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Nice video, simple but well thought out.
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Were you just standing on the asbestos roof sheets ( 40 seconds ), or did you have walk boards down
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Nice video Steve. Any reason why you didn't use an angle adaptor on the brush of the first scene?
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I have to have a word with the boss of solar sense,i see him must week
thanks ;D ;D
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Good video and you've got a great voice too mate :D
Thanks mate. I warmed up a little before I started! :D
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Nice video, simple but well thought out.
Thanks Robbo. Got ideas for future vids too. ;)
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Were you just standing on the asbestos roof sheets ( 40 seconds ), or did you have walk boards down
It's not asbestos. 8)
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Nice video Steve. Any reason why you didn't use an angle adaptor on the brush of the first scene?
There is, but it's long winded. I'm not dodging the question, but there's a couple of good reasons and we are working with someone on a solution to the problem. This was a job early last year and found some snagging issues specific to solar cleaning. I think we have found the solution, but will only know next year when we hit Derby or somewhere similar.
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Interesting, look forward to hearing more in time.
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my mistake, with the roofing sheets soaking up the water it just looked like asbestos
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Aluminium pole?
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Aluminium pole?
Yep, a 35'. We had an extreme 45' with an extension on the go at the same time. Both were effective.
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35' aluminium? Surely that's cruelty?
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Steve - given all the talk about potential electric shocks I was surprised to see the operator not using any PPE. How come?
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
Cheers Steve, so what do you do differently now?
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
Lol.
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
Cheers Steve, so what do you do differently now?
Lots... :D ;)
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
Cheers Steve, so what do you do differently now?
Lots... :D ;)
Now hang on a minute Steve. When I queried why you didn't use PPE you, in this thread, stated that this was one your first jobs and that you had learned and implemented a lot since then. In the same thread you said it was a job that you did "early last year", that is, in early 2013.
But I found a thread here from Dec 2012: http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=162447.msg1355751#msg1355751 in which you state, and I quote, "We are doing it A LOT! Priced up a 17,000 panel installation this week. We market it as a premium service." and where in later posts in the same thread you state "I've started talking to a very well respected university about the possibility of them accrediting solar panel cleaning training days. It will focus on cleaning, health & safety, marketing, pricing, benefits of solar cleaning etc." and finally in answer to the question of possible electrocution "Yes, it is possible. If the panel is cracked, if there are loose wires or the panel frame is live, you will get shocked.".
Steve, if you remember i've defended your right to retain information you have discovered about the danger of electrocution in cleaning solar panels. You've argued the toss with lads who've said that cleaning panels is generally safe. But here you are cleaning without PPE.
Am I then the only one who concludes that you actually believe that the actual risks are extremely low as many have asserted but by instilling fear through the "if you only know what I know" argument is an attempt to corner the market nationally for your own company?
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Voltage protection from 7500v to 36000v.
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
Cheers Steve, so what do you do differently now?
Lots... :D ;)
Now hang on a minute Steve. When I queried why you didn't use PPE you, in this thread, stated that this was one your first jobs and that you had learned and implemented a lot since then. In the same thread you said it was a job that you did "early last year", that is, in early 2013.
But I found a thread here from Dec 2012: http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=162447.msg1355751#msg1355751 in which you state, and I quote, "We are doing it A LOT! Priced up a 17,000 panel installation this week. We market it as a premium service." and where in later posts in the same thread you state "I've started talking to a very well respected university about the possibility of them accrediting solar panel cleaning training days. It will focus on cleaning, health & safety, marketing, pricing, benefits of solar cleaning etc." and finally in answer to the question of possible electrocution "Yes, it is possible. If the panel is cracked, if there are loose wires or the panel frame is live, you will get shocked.".
Steve, if you remember i've defended your right to retain information you have discovered about the danger of electrocution in cleaning solar panels. You've argued the toss with lads who've said that cleaning panels is generally safe. But here you are cleaning without PPE.
Am I then the only one who concludes that you actually believe that the actual risks are extremely low as many have asserted but by instilling fear through the "if you only know what I know" argument is an attempt to corner the market nationally for your own company?
Whoaaaa! Hold your horses! No Carl. I did not say it was one of our first jobs, I said it was one of our 'earliest jobs of this kind'. You did not quote me contextually.
In 2012, we were doing a lot in a relative sense. We were doing a lot of marketing, research into electrocution risk and training, building of websites AND some cleaning. The training course thing is still moving forward by the way and is in the 'gathering of information for modules' phase.
When I originally came up with solar cleaning for my business about 6 years ago, I would have been overjoyed with 50 panels per year. Relatively, that was a lot back then. In 2011 things began to creep forward. I loved doing 100 panels per year, that was a lot, relatively. In 2012, we cleaned about 300, again, a lot relatively. Did many other guys on here clean 300 panels in 2012? It's doubtful.
In December 2012 when we did our calculations for what we thought we would do in 2013, we came up with a figure way, way under what we actually cleaned, 53,350. Again, that's a lot relatively, far beyond what we thought. So relatively, when the statement was made, yes, we were doing a lot. I had no idea then that here in January 2014, I would consider 300 panels to be small job, but it is now, relatively.
There are few industries in the UK that are moving as quickly as the solar industry. Technology, government policy and guidelines, size of arrays, number of arrays and the demand for cleaning is changing rapidly as new problems are presented. Our approach to cleaning some sites last year will be completely different this year because of the experience that we have gained over the last 12 months.
My statements from 2012 that you have quoted were based on the scale of what we were doing and on information we had at the time. There is still NO HSE advice on SPC, no training, no qualification, conflicting stories from manufacturers and installers about loads of different issues. There is not even a standard way to build solar farms yet! I can't find ANYONE in the whole of the UK that is doing what we do to the same scale. If there is someone, step forward and we will can share ideas and do business together. We have been guessing our way through a minefield for the last 6 years, but I now feel I know the score. You won't find any posts on here 6 years ago from me because I knew nothing.
There would have been a time believe it or not that Alex Gardiner would not have dared come on an open forum in the way he does now. He has now done his research, knows his field, knows his marketplace, knows his products, has built up an excellent reputation as an industry leader for WFP. Go back through some of his posts and I'm sure they seem outdated with how he approaches things now and the products he sold years ago were inferior to what he sells now, but they were the best he could manufacture and sell based on the information and knowledge he had THEN.
Businesses and their products, strategies and working practices DEVELOP over time. My business is no different. Last year, I never thought we would clean over 53,000 panels, but we did. I'm not going to tell you what I think we will do this year because I will be laughed off here, but potentially, we can smash past last years total figure on one job alone. If we get one contract for which we have priced and gone through checks for, my approach to solar panel cleaning will change again because the job will demand it.
I'm sorry if you feel I am duping people on here, but I'm not. Updated videos from this year's cleans will show we have extra measures in place. Watch this space...
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Steve is making hay whilst the sun shines. Who can blame him. Its good business practice and I am sure its been a steep learning curve. If I still produced the same results at work that I did a few years ago, I would be disappointed. I don't manage the same as I used to either. We have a much bigger understanding of the HSE now as I am sure a lot of you do. Good on you steve. I look forward to next and much improved video. Now can I have a list of your customers and what you charge. There's a good man. I won't tell anyone else.
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Steve, any reply to my question? Cheers.
Didn't pick up the question originally Carl sorry. I was away over the weekend when the thread must have dropped off. This was one of our earliest jobs of this kind. We've learned a lot and implemented a lot since...
Cheers Steve, so what do you do differently now?
Lots... :D ;)
Now hang on a minute Steve. When I queried why you didn't use PPE you, in this thread, stated that this was one your first jobs and that you had learned and implemented a lot since then. In the same thread you said it was a job that you did "early last year", that is, in early 2013.
But I found a thread here from Dec 2012: http://www.cleanitup.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=162447.msg1355751#msg1355751 in which you state, and I quote, "We are doing it A LOT! Priced up a 17,000 panel installation this week. We market it as a premium service." and where in later posts in the same thread you state "I've started talking to a very well respected university about the possibility of them accrediting solar panel cleaning training days. It will focus on cleaning, health & safety, marketing, pricing, benefits of solar cleaning etc." and finally in answer to the question of possible electrocution "Yes, it is possible. If the panel is cracked, if there are loose wires or the panel frame is live, you will get shocked.".
Steve, if you remember i've defended your right to retain information you have discovered about the danger of electrocution in cleaning solar panels. You've argued the toss with lads who've said that cleaning panels is generally safe. But here you are cleaning without PPE.
Am I then the only one who concludes that you actually believe that the actual risks are extremely low as many have asserted but by instilling fear through the "if you only know what I know" argument is an attempt to corner the market nationally for your own company?
Whoaaaa! Hold your horses! No Carl. I did not say it was one of our first jobs, I said it was one of our 'earliest jobs of this kind'. You did not quote me contextually.
In 2012, we were doing a lot in a relative sense. We were doing a lot of marketing, research into electrocution risk and training, building of websites AND some cleaning. The training course thing is still moving forward by the way and is in the 'gathering of information for modules' phase.
When I originally came up with solar cleaning for my business about 6 years ago, I would have been overjoyed with 50 panels per year. Relatively, that was a lot back then. In 2011 things began to creep forward. I loved doing 100 panels per year, that was a lot, relatively. In 2012, we cleaned about 300, again, a lot relatively. Did many other guys on here clean 300 panels in 2012? It's doubtful.
In December 2012 when we did our calculations for what we thought we would do in 2013, we came up with a figure way, way under what we actually cleaned, 53,350. Again, that's a lot relatively, far beyond what we thought. So relatively, when the statement was made, yes, we were doing a lot. I had no idea then that here in January 2014, I would consider 300 panels to be small job, but it is now, relatively.
There are few industries in the UK that are moving as quickly as the solar industry. Technology, government policy and guidelines, size of arrays, number of arrays and the demand for cleaning is changing rapidly as new problems are presented. Our approach to cleaning some sites last year will be completely different this year because of the experience that we have gained over the last 12 months.
My statements from 2012 that you have quoted were based on the scale of what we were doing and on information we had at the time. There is still NO HSE advice on SPC, no training, no qualification, conflicting stories from manufacturers and installers about loads of different issues. There is not even a standard way to build solar farms yet! I can't find ANYONE in the whole of the UK that is doing what we do to the same scale. If there is someone, step forward and we will can share ideas and do business together. We have been guessing our way through a minefield for the last 6 years, but I now feel I know the score. You won't find any posts on here 6 years ago from me because I knew nothing.
There would have been a time believe it or not that Alex Gardiner would not have dared come on an open forum in the way he does now. He has now done his research, knows his field, knows his marketplace, knows his products, has built up an excellent reputation as an industry leader for WFP. Go back through some of his posts and I'm sure they seem outdated with how he approaches things now and the products he sold years ago were inferior to what he sells now, but they were the best he could manufacture and sell based on the information and knowledge he had THEN.
Businesses and their products, strategies and working practices DEVELOP over time. My business is no different. Last year, I never thought we would clean over 53,000 panels, but we did. I'm not going to tell you what I think we will do this year because I will be laughed off here, but potentially, we can smash past last years total figure on one job alone. If we get one contract for which we have priced and gone through checks for, my approach to solar panel cleaning will change again because the job will demand it.
I'm sorry if you feel I am duping people on here, but I'm not. Updated videos from this year's cleans will show we have extra measures in place. Watch this space...
I'm sorry, but I don't get what you are saying.
1. In Dec 2012 you were saying on here that there was a risk of electrocution.
2. As per your video, in early 2013 on one of your earliest jobs you were cleaning solar panels (large arrays at that) without PPE
All last year, at least as far as I can remember, you have been indicating that people were risking electrocution if they didn't take the right precautions; you know what these precautions were but weren't spilling the beans (and I respect this), but there you are in early 2013 without PPE.
I take my hat off to you in the way you've built your business, but I still feel you have tried to frighten people off by exaggerating the risks involved.
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I must admit I was surprised to see Steve cleaning what looked like a large array with no PPE at all and also using an aluminium pole. I know Steve will say 'we know a lot more now than we did then' but common sense tells me that using an Aluminium pole on solar panels cannot be optimal.
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Steve is making hay whilst the sun shines. Who can blame him. Its good business practice and I am sure its been a steep learning curve. If I still produced the same results at work that I did a few years ago, I would be disappointed. I don't manage the same as I used to either. We have a much bigger understanding of the HSE now as I am sure a lot of you do. Good on you steve. I look forward to next and much improved video. Now can I have a list of your customers and what you charge. There's a good man. I won't tell anyone else.
Lol! That is genuinely one of the best posts about what I'm trying to do and certainly one of the funniest! Check your inbox mate. The list has been sent.... ;)
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I'm sorry, but I don't get what you are saying.
1. In Dec 2012 you were saying on here that there was a risk of electrocution.
2. As per your video, in early 2013 on one of your earliest jobs you were cleaning solar panels (large arrays at that) without PPE
All last year, at least as far as I can remember, you have been indicating that people were risking electrocution if they didn't take the right precautions; you know what these precautions were but weren't spilling the beans (and I respect this), but there you are in early 2013 without PPE.
I take my hat off to you in the way you've built your business, but I still feel you have tried to frighten people off by exaggerating the risks involved.
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I can't be any clearer than I've already tried to be. In December 2012 I knew there was a risk of electrocution and knew how to minimise the risk in April 2013. Now we manage it more fully. What more can I say?
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I'm sorry, but I don't get what you are saying.
1. In Dec 2012 you were saying on here that there was a risk of electrocution.
2. As per your video, in early 2013 on one of your earliest jobs you were cleaning solar panels (large arrays at that) without PPE
All last year, at least as far as I can remember, you have been indicating that people were risking electrocution if they didn't take the right precautions; you know what these precautions were but weren't spilling the beans (and I respect this), but there you are in early 2013 without PPE.
I take my hat off to you in the way you've built your business, but I still feel you have tried to frighten people off by exaggerating the risks involved.
I can't be any clearer than I've already tried to be. In December 2012 I knew there was a risk of electrocution and knew how to minimise the risk in April 2013. Now we manage it more fully. What more can I say?
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No need to say anything Steve. I appreciate you've learnt as you've gone, stands to reason. I still also feel that you have exaggerated the risks to your own end, but that's just a feeling I have. If i'm wrong then I apologise. I look forward to future videos to see your enhanced H & S measures.