Why Clean Solar Panels?
The benefits of clean solar panels
The benefits of clean solar panels
Airborne dust particles, sticky tree and plant sap, lichen, soot and bird droppings are just a few of the things that can contribute to a build-up of dirt on your solar panels. These dirt accumulations can unfortunately create cellular shading on the panels, preventing sunlight from reaching the cells. This results in poor system performance, a loss of efficiency and even less financial returns for the owner and investor in these solar energy options.
Dirty solar panels
Regular solar panel cleaning
When a solar panel is called self cleaning, it tends to mean that the surface is hydrophobic; meaning water droplets cannot stick to the surface. In essence, these surfaces aren’t exactly self-cleaning and maintenance free at all. They reduce mineral residue that can block the sun reaching the cells, however, in a dusty environment a single solar cell within the panel can become inefficient and this will affect the performance of the rest of the cells within the panel.
When a PV system is wired in series, if one cell is shaded, then the output of the entire panel is lower as a result. Rain alone is not enough to ensure solar panels remain free from a build-up of dirt throughout one year, let alone a lifetime - so seek professional support.