Panel Cleaning!!
- Thread starter clayswen
- Start date
wattmatters
Solar Wizard
No discernible difference. And I'm a data junkie when it comes to assessing stuff like this.
I am definitely not a Bot …
buy a spray bottle of glass plus liquid…buy an O Cedar Swivel head type short nap mop thing with the mop head that slips over the mop holder…similar to a swiffer or whatever.
My panels are 2 to 5 feet off the ground when tilted..
spray the panels generously .
Pull the mop down or rub it around abit on the panels as you see fit…it absorbs all the liquid and traps all the dirt…ALOT of dirt comes off you can’t see well….the glass is clean as new.
Unlike many soaps it does not leave a film or streaking..( it’s glass cleaner ok) …it’s drys clear.
Perfect cleaning in about 2 min… I do it about couple of weeks or as needed.
After cleaning I go rinse a lot of dirt out if the the mop head out in the sink with hot water …squeezing it out ….then let it dry…then put back on the end of the handle. Done….
Works perfect..
Even a Bot cannot make cleaning any simpler..easier or faster..
Haaa.. Bots ain’t so smart.
My panels in any sun are about 90 volts… I do wear my 0 rated electrical gloves when cleaning wet panels …
…
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
I call mostly BS. If your solar panels collect the amount of guano in those pictures, then by all means you should probably at least hose them off. If you are getting hit with mass seagulls, the salt spray is going to be something worse it permeates everything in a costal environ. I can't imagine bird droppings eating thru the glass, perhaps minor corrosion on the frames over and extremely long time period. I get fly-by droppings, got the little woman to stop with the bird-feeders.
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
That pic is not a bird dropping. At which point, it's not going to get a clik either. That is clearly a shot with a baseball or rock or, ... that shattered the glass, at which point all kinds of stuff leaks in and corrodes, add electricity and whamo. You should eyeball your panels periodically for any kind of damage, along with your roof in general and most of the things on your property.
Could be in this case but this is a know issue in the industry. Do some digging, this guy isn't just making it up. Pushing thousands of watts through a just a couple of cells puts panels on the edge. All it takes is some shade (bird doo is shade) in the right spot and your done, especially if an already slow(more resistive) cell is the one that is shaded. Ever wonder why manufactures say shading voids the warranty?
You all do know how panels work right?
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ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
Yup, FM = Freaking Magic. Anything can break if subject to abuse. I can tell you if you tape a piece of cardboard over a panel in a string it drops itself out of the string. This I have tested and confirmed. Nothing seemed to get hot or anything. Now if you want to take a baseball bat to it, your outcomes may vary. Piling a thick layer of guano on top of one should do pretty much what cardboard does. If your panel catches fire because a bird crapped on it, I think there were other factors at play.
I think you need to do some research on panel fires and what can cause them. You might be surprised on what you learn.
But you aren't pushing thousands of watts through just a couple of cells; you are pushing a fixed current through. While string voltage can cause other issues, the difference between 80V and 400-600V on a panel rated for 1,000V isn't going to see that much impact.
That said, yes you should clean off your panels and keep them in good working condition. You should also periodically check your system to make sure there is no breakdown that can add to risk.
wattmatters
Solar Wizard
I think being a little less patronising might be more helpful.
Meanwhile, this is a pretty decent article on the topic for anyone who wishes to read up on it:
What Causes Solar PV Fires and How to Prevent Them - GSES
This article lists the main causes of solar fires and methods of prevention that can be used.
www.gses.com.au
Hot spots are an issue but generally occur due to micro-cracking caused by external damage to the panel and/or because the panel is of low quality. Hard shade in confined areas of the panel over long periods is not good, so clean off any persistent bird poo or lichen. Dust, pollen etc is not going to cause such issues. Modern panels are pretty good at coping with such issues but nevertheless, a little basic maintenance/checking is worthwhile.
wattmatters
Solar Wizard
That's not how PV arrays work.
Please tell me what I have wrong, I'm not above learning.
Everyone is saying I'm wrong and that is fine but NO one is offering details on how it works. I'm not above saying I'm wrong but for the sake of others that want to learn, please explain your point in details or at least enough so someone can google search the concept.
I do have concerns with where the industry has gone with high power strings, I think there is value for everyone in figuring this out.
My premise is a series string will deliver all the power seen on the SCC through ALL the panels and shaded ones are bottle necks where they INCREASE in heat from the other panels.
I do have concerns with where the industry has gone with high power strings, I think there is value for everyone in figuring this out.
My premise is a series string will deliver all the power seen on the SCC through ALL the panels and shaded ones are bottle necks where they INCREASE in heat from the other panels.
sunshine_eggo
Happy Breffast!
It's not the Watts. It's the Amps.
There's no difference in 15A being pushed through a cell if it's in a 2S or 20S string.
There's no difference in 15A being pushed through a cell if it's in a 2S or 20S string.
ksmithaz1
Solar / EV Junkie
None of the fires were because of failure to clean off the panel. Generally it's a panel engineering defect, manufacturing defect or direct damage that causes issues with panels. They are surprisingly sturdy, and both the engineering and manufacturing have continued to improve over the last 10 years. There isn't a whole lot of data on this, because in the last 10 years or so there really haven't been very many major incidents. I think Wal-Mart had a bad batch of panels on some stores somewhere. What should happen worst case is arc/burn/fail. As long as the burn doesn't catch something else that will self-sustain, it shouldn't cause a major problem. Fire resistant plastics should help mitigate all but the nastiest issues.
There have been plenty of high-profile electrical fires that have nothing to do with solar. I don't see it as any more of a fire hazard than any other outside (or inside for that matter) electrical appliance. If it gets or shows signs of damaged replace it.
wattmatters
Solar Wizard
Exactly.
The full power of an array is not passed through each cell.
In PV panels (and strings), the voltage of the cells is cumulative since it's a circuit in series. IOW each cell has the full string current passing through it but only contributes half a volt or so to the array. An individual cell may contribute 0.5V (or so) x 10 A (say) or roughly 5 W each.
And yet there are millions of such systems with well over one TW of capacity installed around the world, with little issue. One third of all homes in Australia has one on their rooftop.
As has been described, issues can occur but mainly that's a function of poor installation with the wiring and/or physical damage to the panel itself.
pollenface
Solar Addict
I use distilled or deionised water and a brush.
clayswen
New Member
Is there any damage that can occur from using a power washer? Would it harm any type of potective coating on the panels? Sure would be easy to just blast them clean!!
timselectric
If I can do it, you can do it.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2022
- Messages
- 18,717
It won't hurt the glass or frames. But I would be careful with the seal between the two.
I know you all think I am crazy but the shaded cells DO take some of the load, check this out if you don't believe me ya'll....
LINK - PV Education - Shading
LINK - PV Education - Shading
Shading
Shading is a problem in PV modules since shading just one cell in the module can reduce the power output to zero.- Shading one cell reduces the output of the whole string of cells or modules.
- Excess power from the unshaded cells is dissipated in the shaded cell.
- Bypass diodes isolate the shaded cell.
