Researchers are working to develop new techniques for cleaning solar panels that don’t take as much effort as the conventional approach detailed here. This is because solar energy is getting more and more popular, and more residential and business installations are being built.
Some Modern Techniques for Cleaning Solar Panels are listed below:
For modest household installations, making use of robots may not be currently practical, however, some commercial installations are deploying autonomous and semi-autonomous bots to clean their solar panels.
Some bots may be trained to autonomously clean the panels at night and charge and refill water during the day, with little to no human work and interference. These robots might be large, like tractors or cranes, or small, like handheld devices. Maybe they’ll be accessible to homeowners shortly. Some cleaners are available at sites like eBay so you can check them out too!
Vibrations
Researchers at various academic institutions, including MIT, are working to create a technique that will enable your solar panels to self-clean.
You read that right! No robots or people are needed to clean solar panels. To do this, they vibrate solar panels at certain frequencies in an effort to “shake off” any dust that has formed on their surface.
While employing vibrations to keep solar panels clean may assist sustain better energy output while needing far less maintenance, this still doesn’t address the issue of dirt like bird poop — yes, I detest bird poop — or the dust that settles at the edges and corners.
Nanoparticle Coatings
What if you avoided letting dust accumulate on your panels in the first place, as opposed to cleaning or shaking it off?
It seems obvious, doesn’t it?
This is making it more common to cover the glass of solar panels with nanocoatings, similar to the ceramic coatings you can obtain to protect your automobile paint.
For windows and facades, these nanoparticle coatings have been widely employed to keep the glass clean. To stop dirt and grime from adhering to solar panels, they are now being tested on such surfaces.
Your solar panels will require fewer cleanings since less dust will attach to them. Additionally, coatings made of nanoparticles reject water because they are hydrophobic.
As opposed to non-coated glass, which dries on the panel, water runs off the panel instead, leaving little to no residue.
As a result, you may get away with sprinkling some water on your solar panels from the ground, which would save you even more time and money by not having to clean them.
Conclusion
For roughly twenty-five years of their lifespan, solar panels require little maintenance. However, they must be cleaned at least twice a year.
Or even more, depending on your location and how quickly they gather dust.
You may clean solar panels yourself or with professional assistance, which is more expensive but involves labor.
Always seek expert assistance if you believe that cleaning solar panels on your own is risky. In fact, you should hire specialists to clean your panels at least once a year.
Here are some dos and don’ts for DIY projects.
Solar Panel Cleaning Do’s:
· Thoroughly inspect before cleaning
· Use unionized water
· Use neutral or organic soap.
· Remove the dust that has accumulated around the borders.
· For solar panels, use a soft brush or microfiber cloth.
· On a slanted roof, use a safety harness.
Solar Panel Cleaning Don’ts:
· While solar panels are operating, avoid cleaning them.
· Even if there is a little break in the glass, avoid cleaning the area.
· Stay off the solar panels.
· To clean the dirt from your solar panels, avoid using sharp items.
· Avoid using strong or abrasive soaps or detergents.
· Use low-pressure water only.
· Avoid letting the solar panels’ surface water dry out.
