Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Ian101 on March 23, 2015, 06:03:58 pm

Title: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Ian101 on March 23, 2015, 06:03:58 pm: Anyone come across any published reports for the above ?

Got a big quote to do and be handy to know efficiency improvement they can gain by having them cleaned ?
Title: Re: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Smudger on March 23, 2015, 07:46:08 pm: Really depends on where they are sited, when was the last clean etc... Last time I really bothered to research it 40% was a figure banded about.

How many panels ya looking at ?

Darran
Title: Re: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Dave Willis on March 23, 2015, 07:58:06 pm: Have a look on Solar "look at me" Steves website - bound to be some fantastic claims on there.

I clean mine at night - it's safer and I generally get 100% improvement the next day.
Title: Re: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Ian101 on March 24, 2015, 08:02:10 am: Quote from: Smudger on March 23, 2015, 07:46:08 pm
Really depends on where they are sited, when was the last clean etc... Last time I really bothered to research it 40% was a figure banded about.

How many panels ya looking at ?

Darran

350 panels approx
Title: Re: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Ian101 on March 24, 2015, 08:02:48 am: Quote from: Dave Willis on March 23, 2015, 07:58:06 pm
Have a look on Solar "look at me" Steves website - bound to be some fantastic claims on there.

I clean mine at night - it's safer and I generally get 100% improvement the next day.

100% major difference ... like night and day ;)
Title: Re: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Smudger on March 24, 2015, 08:39:58 pm: Ah good, should get a good price for them

Darran
Title: Re: How much performance improvement by cleaning solar panels ?
Post by: Rich Wilts on March 24, 2015, 08:54:19 pm: All installs will have a set of meters associated with each array. Check them before you start cleaning and watch them fluctuate for no apparent reason. It's when there's no discernible change in the atmosphere and the dials are fluctuating like a who ers drawers you realise there's no way of measuring the apparent improvement from cleaning.

I'm not saying cleaning doesn't improve the productivity of solar panels, it's just the meters and dials used to measure their output are far too sensitive to be able to give an accurate assessment. You'll see what I mean if you check out the dials.