Importance Of Keeping Your Solar Panels Clean

Importance Of Keeping Solar Panels Clean

Solar Cleaning is a pivotal aspect in the production of solar energy. It maintains the productivity of the solar panels and prevents any disruption. When not cleaned occasionally, the efficiency of solar panels gets hampered leading to power and revenue loss. 

Continuous soiling can reduce the efficiency of solar panels by 3% – 4% daily. The daily decline in the overall efficiency of the panels can cost a significant revenue loss over a period of months. 

This underscores the need for solar panel cleaning periodically. In a small-scale Or residential setting, solar panel cleaning can increase the efficiency by 15% – 30% annually and the same for commercial sites would be 50% – 60% annually. 

How Does Soiling Affect The Efficiency

Prevents Light Absorption – Consistent accumulation of dust may form a thick layer on the panel surface, obstructing light penetration. The declining capacity of sunlight absorption can hamper the energy conversion rate of solar panels. This reduces power generation and deliberately leads to huge financial losses. 

Reduces Anti-reflective Ability –

Solar cleaning keeps the panels anti-reflective to the sunlight. However, the anti-reflective property of solar panels will be impacted if they are kept uncleaned for days. Due to soiling on the panels, the light rays will get reflected back with least or zero absorption through the panels. 

Damage and Repairs – Persistent dirt and heavy environmental debris can cause abrasion and minor cracks on the panels. Reducing efficiency and continuous soiling can result in malfunction. This may cause major repairs or even permanent damage to the solar panels. 

Financial Loss – The decreased efficiency of solar panels by soiling also causes financial loss. In the case of a residential setting, lower efficiency can reduce energy savings and in commercial sites, this might result in huge revenue loss monthly. 

What Are The Benefits Of Solar Panel Cleaning? 

Maximum Light Absorption – Solar modules produce power by converting sunlight into usable energy. Regular cleaning allows the sunlight to absorb into panels seamlessly. Persistent accumulation of dust prevents light absorption into the photovoltaic cells. This underscores the importance of cleaning solar panels regularly. 

Increased Efficiency – Due to solar cleaning, the maximum sunlight absorption enables a higher conversion of solar energy. The increased efficiency of solar modules results in optimised power output and soaring revenue generation. 

For example, Taypro deployed its NextGen automated solar cleaning robots at a 50 MW capacity solar plant in Karnataka. With periodic automated cleaning, the upgraded efficiency of solar panels increased the energy output by 2250000 kWh annually. 

Impact of Taypro’s Solar Panel Cleaning Service at the Yadgir Karnataka plant:

Enhanced Longevity – Regular and efficient cleaning of solar panels not only removes the dust but also prolongs the lifespan of the panels. The scheduled cleaning cycle allows early detection of minor damage and repair needs. This enables prompt redressals and maintenance of the solar panels, enhancing their longevity. 

High Revenue Generation – The upgraded efficiency of solar panels translates into optimised energy production. Maximum power generation saves electricity expenses by 10% – 20% and provides return on investment in the form of usable renewable energy. Large-scale commercial installations can provide around ₹ 15 lakhs worth of savings yearly. 

How To Clean Solar Panels

There are various methods of solar cleaning ranging from common to automatic solar panel cleaning techniques. Solar panel cleaning is conducted using soft brushes, sponges, microfibre cloth, air pressure, water sprinklers, etc. 

Some of the best practices of solar cleaning are mentioned below:

Manual Cleaning 

The most common method of solar cleaning, a manual process involves labour intervention to clean the accumulated dirt from the panels. This is further classified into dry manual cleaning and water-based manual cleaning.

Dry manual cleaning utilises air pressure and soft-bristled brushes to remove dust and dry debris such as leaves, bark, sand, etc. This is suitable for residential solar installations. 

In water-based solar panel cleaning, water along with soft sponges and mild detergent is used for cleaning the solar modules. This process helps in removing stubborn dirt, unlike dry manual cleaning. 

Automated Solar Cleaning Robots 

Automated solar cleaning robots have integrated tech-driven and AI-based techniques to clean the solar panels effectively. In this method, automated solar robots are placed on the solar roof. These robots conduct the cleaning process cohesively without any human intervention.

An automated robot is a waterless method for solar cleaning. Taypro’s advanced automated robots have used microfibre cloth and airflow to clean the dirt from the solar panels. They have minimum downtime which fastens the cleaning process. 

Automated solar panel cleaning robots require significant cost during installation however, it gradually declines the operation costs and the need for maintenance. This results in maximum efficiency and higher energy production. 

Pipe And Nozzle Module Cleaning System 

Pipe and nozzle module cleaning system is a water-based and automated technique of solar panel cleaning. It rinses off the dust and sticky dirt from the surface of the panels through a network of pipes and mounted water nozzles. 

Stainless steel or PVC pipes are used along with strategically placed nozzles. The nozzles sprinkle the water uniformly, which is supplied through the pipes. The slant orientation of solar panels lets the water drain easily. 

In this method, water is used efficiently without heavy wastage. It is ideal for large-scale solar installations with minimal requirement of manual labour. 

Nanoparticle Coatings 

Nanoparticle coating is a dust and water-repellent method of solar cleaning. It is a thin and transparent coating of silica applied over the panel surface. This coating makes the solar modules moist-repellent, dust-repellent, and anti-reflective. 

This self-cleaning feature of nanoparticle coating lets the dust and water slip off from the solar panels. It prevents staining and the frequent need for manual cleaning in dry regions. Using this method can prolong the longevity of solar panels. 

How Frequent Should Be Solar Panel Cleaned

The frequency of solar cleaning determines the efficiency of solar panels. They should be cleaned timely considering the surrounding factors to prevent any functional disruption. 

Location is one of the influencing factors in soiling and solar cleaning. The location of the solar installations determines the extremity of dust accumulation and hindrance of light absorption. 

Based on the location and peripheral elements, the solar cleaning cycle should be scheduled. Solar installations in a more polluted area should be cleaned very frequently whereas in a cleaner environment, they should be cleaned twice a year. 

In dry regions, solar panels should be cleaned daily or within 3-4 days more than the previous cleaning cycle. Dust gets quickly stuck on the panel surface in such areas due to loss of humidity. 

Also, using manual and automated cleaning methods is a pragmatic solution to maintain solar efficiency in these arid regions where the water supply is scanty. 

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