The Problem – The Effect – The Solution
Some say you don’t need to wash your solar panels, that an occasional rain storm will effectively clean your solar panels for you. Well I say it rains on your car too how clean is that after it rains?
Industry reports say that scheduled cleanings will increase the lifespan of your solar panels. Here are some more interesting facts about cleaning solar panels:
- Dirty solar panels lose around 15 – 25% of their efficiency
- Increase your return on your solar system investment pay back time by 3 – 5 years
Researchers found that solar panels mounted on an angle of five degrees or less caused bigger losses in efficiency. That is because dirt comes off panels that are installed at a steeper angle easier.
Solar panels heavily soiled with bird droppings should always be cleaned. That’s because the droppings essentially block all 100% sunlight and will not be washed away when it rains.
Researchers found that in certain geographic areas, photovoltaic panels get dirty enough to warrant cleaning on a monthly or quarterly basis, to very specific for example, being directly next to and downwind of a highway, factory or agricultural field or live in a metropolitan city will generate enough dirt to warrant cleaning regularly.
Sites in the survey were of the California Solar Initiative, a state-funded rebate program for customers of Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison.
The California Public Utilities Commission funded the research.
Next steps in the research would be looking more closely at the homes that warrant cleaning and determining what caused the panels to get so dirty in the first place.
Modern photovoltaic (PV) technologies like solar panels make renewable energy from the sun by converting sunlight into usable electricity. “So why aren’t we all using free energy to power our homes?” When asked, most people say “the cost of installing a solar system is to expensive”. But solar panel products are getting better and cheaper all the time. And with company’s like us that provide the solar system at no upfront cost, more and more people chose to do their part in saving the planet and save money on their electric bill at the same time. This technology is changing the way we think and use electricity.
The Portfolio tiles below are collective of information about Solar panel installation, Solar Rebates, Government Programs for 30% rebates and the best solar panels to buy.
