Cleaning Solar Panels Is Pointless! (In The UK)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ย. 2023
- I cleaned my panels and marvelled at the zero difference it appears to make compared to leaving it to the rain!
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Just a tip for anyone who needs to put a ladder against any gutter for any reason (because they get brittle over the years) Place ladder underneath the gutter, then grab a piece of 3x2 or 4x2 that’s wider than your ladders width. Place the timber into your gutter, in between the gutter brackets, this allows the gutter to sag onto the timber. Go back down, raise ladder onto the gutter where you’ve placed the timber. Gutter will not break 👍
It is worth it as a preventative measure against lichen building up over time. The lowest edge tends to hold water when it rains as the frame is above the glass and over time lichen can take hold which will reduce output, general grime doesn't make much difference. If lichen starts to grow then it's difficult to remove. You can see the white lichen bobs on your roof tiles so the spores are around!
I've had mine cleaned for the first time to celebrate 10 years use and can confirm lichen build up does build up on the panel above the bottom edge. Was difficult to remove - by professional - using pressure washer and pole with rotating head. Was a marginal improvement I think! Maybe worth doing in another 10 years
My system of 16 panels is 12 years old. I have areas of algae/lichen on several panels near the bottom in the two strings which wouldn’t clean with water/caravan cleaner. Going to try a recommended mix of biodegradable soap, vinegar and water. My regular window cleaner gave them a try but couldn’t shift using normal water and extended brushes. They estimate about 5 hours to clean with unspecified chemicals and a cost of £260!! Thinking I will get an extended brush system with powered back pack and do th 7:08 em myself. If I buy the system I will do my own windows monthly and do the panels twice per year saving £400 in the first year. Enough to buy a good cleaning kit!
@@douglaswares8296you need pure water to clean windows. Tap water will leave water marks when it dries.
Our roof was built with velux windows above the solar panels, to allow cleaning as described in the planning application. In 10 years I have never bothered , the output of the panels does not seem to have dropped , and the rain has cleaned them adequately. We did have a heavy pollen coating midsummer, but one rain shower cleaned that off.
I disagree. The aluminium bottom edge of the panels attracts lichen and dirty build up. The rain bounces/sprays this back up the panels (my roof is a average 35 degree pitch). Thus I get extra dirt asking the bottom 5 inches that gets worse towards that lip. You shade 1 cell you affect the lot. You shade a row of bottom cells you will drop the power. Maybe only 5-10%. Also in spring and summer we had 30 days without meaningful rain. Lots of dust in that time. Gave mine a rinse with the hose and power was boosted
My 11 year old panels developed quite a lot of lichen after about 6 years and output had dropped by at least25%. Now I get the widow cleaner to do them every couple of years and consider it money well spent. I’m surprised others don’t seem to have the same problem, maybe more modern panels have better coatings.
Same here. Our old array developed a green algae bloom and then lichen took hold. They were never cleaned until last year (2023) where I cleaned them to look new again. Now I regularly clean them. I have 2 arrays, one from 2011 and one from 2019. It's not coatings that have improved it's the passage of time. Lichen grows very slowly, 1 - 2mm a year. Takes a while to take hold.
I'm highly impressed that you managed to do all that cleaning without angering the Yorkshire weather gods and getting rained on 😂
Cleaning 50cm of snow with screwed together extended wooden rake... this is just what I needed for about 1 once a year.
Without sounding like the safety police... I find a ladder standoff makes a massive difference to the working position and stability at the top of a ladder, have the ladder at 4 to 1 angle and make sure the bottom cannot slide and does not break through your decking. As you conclude, probably safer and easier just to leave them be :)
The ladder spreader is a god send.
Never had them cleaned in the 4 years since installation and power output hasn't diminished, largely thanks to the biblical rain we regularly suffer here in Scotland.
Pitch angle of the roof too, don't forget. Scottish ones are pitched about 5 degrees more steeply than English ones to shed snow.
I’m lucky to live in a bungalow next to 4 tall trees with around 20 crows living in them within 50ft of the house and a busy main road 60 feet away. Crow poop bakes hard onto the panels in the summer as I’m under their flight path. Road grime is significant all year round - yes rain through spring autumn and winter gets most of the grime and poop off but I clean my 39 small panels on the roof with a very high pressure garden hose from the ground after watering the planters on my patio in the several evenings a week in summer - crows lay body big lumps of poop that bake hard very quickly. The roof faces SW and the panels get very hot on sunny days.
Totally agree my panels are over 10 years old never cleaned them and the output has remained constant especially with optimisers.
Same - mine are coming up to 10 years, growing a bit of lichen but optimised and still knocking out peak and average power and energy pretty much the same year on year 🤷♂️
Interesting stuff, thanks!
Cleaning solar panels in the U.K. is advisable. While the U.K.’s rainfall can help keep panels relatively clean, various factors such as bird droppings, dust, leaves, and especially the angle at which the panels are installed can affect how much dirt accumulates. Dirt and debris on the panels can block sunlight, reducing the efficiency and effectiveness of your solar energy system.
Cleaning solar panels is not usually needed very frequently, but it’s generally recommended to check and possibly clean them at least once a year. The ideal frequency can vary based on your specific location within the U.K. and the immediate environment around the solar panels. For instance, panels in more rural or coastal areas might accumulate more dirt due to agricultural activities or sea salt in the air.
It’s essential to follow the manufacturer’s guidance on cleaning to avoid accidentally damaging the panels. Using gentle methods, such as rinsing with water and, if necessary, using a soft brush or cloth, is usually sufficient. For safety and to ensure the panels are not damaged, hiring professionals experienced in solar panel maintenance might be the best approach, especially for panels that are not easily accessible.
The rain does the cleaning !!
If it gets really bad use a water pressure cleaner with a soap dispenser on it and spray it over them with a car cleaning product and give it a minute then clear it off with what ever water jet on that gives the best range. Cracking the panels are a real issue with brushes.
Cheers mate
It will depend on the situation. Here near Whitehaven we get LOTS of rain; even more than you southerners in Yorkshire 😜 but we also have large seagulls (aka shite hawks) and a few large hits can drop the panels’ output from 4kW to 3.5kW. I have easy access to the roof though, so easy to clean with a micro fibre cloth.
Good to see your second channel is getting plenty of attention. Mine aren't too difficult to clean, but like yours not really worthwhile. Pollen and saharan dust are the main culprits and although I have a few pigeons with dietary problems the rain (Scotland) keeps most of it off. I've some experience of garden and poly-tunnel sprinkler systems and had considered that as a way of washing or cooling, but not bothered yet. I would like a flange on one side and the lower edge of each panel so the the moss didn't grow underneath the gap and so that the snow and rain slid off more effectively.
EVM. As you have (velux or any other kind of roof windows) I’d be inclined to simply turn them inside out (there is a locking system) Or, if you are brave, they have two pins, one either side. Push them in and remove the window. Anyway, that said, put a step ladder in the room underneath (once inside out) all good to clean them panels so easily. I know not everyone has roof windows (I don’t 😢) Sahara dust last month was shocking here in North Wales. Water alone would not shift it. Had to do the ladder thing with a 13ft home made brush with hose pipe attached to the brush to clear it. Once I’d done that, our solar yield doubled. Lets hope we don’t get Sahara dust often 🤞
Thanks for going to hassle for everyone else 👍🏻😬😂
Safety first mate every time.👍👍
On the whole I totally agree, however I had a look at some ground mount panels (shoulder height) at an NT property in Wales and they were covered in lichen and that stuff wasn't coming off easily. As it turned out I don't think it really mattered as they were broken for some reason.
Life is far too short for cleaning solar panels. As you say, we get more than enough rain to clean them. There has to be some benefit to living on a damp island
We have ground mounted panels which we clean once or twice a year during summer usually during prolonged dry spells. We can get build up of dust and bird muck at a time when generation is at its best.
Most of the time rain keeps the panels clear.
It can be more problematic on industrial buildings where the panel angles are lower and no provision has been made for working at height. Hiring scaffolding is not cheap.
PS Apologies for the oops comment earlier
My solar edge shows data with watts currently being generated per panel. Do your optimisers not provide this? As you could have looked that up as you’ve cleaned the panel
depends if there is rain on the forecast and depends if its been dry and dusty. even getting the hose out is great
EV Man dont do a Rod Hull mate, your right its not worth it!
In the UK we do get those daft desert sandy rainy days every now and then.
Then in the middle of summer, the rain stops and we get some sun.
2023 sun? What day was that, remind me!
@@djtaylorutube Sept 9th was a nice day, little bit of sun, 33.2'c - so a bit chilly
@@MrSnowMen ah yes, that was the one, I just checked my generation too. Roll on 2024 and hoping for at least two sunny days! :)
@@djtaylorutube TWO, dang, your hoping.
@@MrSnowMen I know I know 😊
I did clean my 8 410w panels a couple of weeks ago for the first time since installing them 12 months ago . They were quite dirty but it made barely any difference to the power generation if any .
Well....as a bonus, you can redeploy your equipment beneficially as you are now well equipped to kick start a new business venture....developing a window cleaning round🤔
I'm looking forward to the launch of your new TH-cam channel.....WCM 😂🤣😆
Agree.
Unless they are horizontal
I have a 7.8 kw ground mount array in Georgia, USA. I have cleaned them twice and also do not notice any significant increase in output. However, I will continue to clean them since mildew seems to grow easily on the glass. I am concerned that it will etch the glass and damage the seals. The same way it would damage an unused car.
I thank you sir. You’ve answered one of those important not high priority annoying questions. One of the questions which always happens to pop into one’s mind at silly times such as on the toilet.
Isn't it less about generating more energy but keeping them well maintained so they last longer?
Apart from after they were initially installed (to get rid of the installation dust), I rely only on rain to clean our solar panels here in Kelowna, BC. One thing that I do have to do that those in the UK won't is to clear snow off my panels in winter!
More worried about the snow sliding off and hitting us coming out of the door. We do actually get snow you know :) though nothing like there.
Seems like the newer panels are better at self cleaning. My older panels do get a green growth on them which seems to have reduced peak output by 10% roughly. I havent attempted to clean them yet but the rain is definitely not washing it away.
If you have optimisers on each do you not have a view on app of how much each is generating? And if so can’t you see the actual difference between done and not?
It's the same here, in The Netherlands.
I paid someone to clean my (then 5 year old panels) but couldn't measure any difference in power generation afterwards.
We've got a steep (60 degree) roof pitch and PVs are supposed to have some sort of self-cleaning nano coating. Whatever it is, it does the trick.
My Velux windows, on the other hand...
I do occasionally clean the panels on my (flat) garage roof, 'cause it's easy & safe to do. But to tell the truth, I can't measure any difference, even if the panels were dusty & covered in birds hit.
Is it possible to clean them from inside the house through the velux window?
Mine are not easy to clean but have noted a few blotches, but annual figures have been very similar for last 12 years.
Will you get lichen over time?
We have our windows cleaned each month and around every third/fourth month I do ‘borrow’ the fellas kit and clean the x6 panels mounted on our garage. They are a shallower angle than the house mounted ones and under trees where pigeons nest, so do suffer dirt a lot more… 🤷🏼♂️ 👍🏻
But I can’t see me bothering with the house roof mounted panels… 🤔 😜
I find the same little reduction in energy .The fit them in the desert but at 40 Deg angle the sand flows off. Reference civil engineering earth piles data.
I have a 9m pole with internal water supply to clean my panels as lots of bird poop to deal with. Also remember that you no longer need a window cleaner so thats a saving each month too .
Or, better still..... don't bother to clean your panels..... OR your windows.......!!
Extension pole with a hose connection, like wot I got. Cleaned mine a few months back after 8 years. They were filthy, but I think it was worth it. But then again, I can reach all of mine from ground level. Ha Ha. What you need is a drone with an mop head attached 😁.
i dont think ill bother afain , i have W S & E facing panels i noticed the East one were looking a bit green so i paid £70 to have just those ones done this spring , may best days over the last 4 years were nearly 40kwh but this year it was about 35+ish , so i lost £70 from my FIT payment , i dont think ill bother again .
2:26 "THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID" 😁
why did you use a ladder , you have vellux windows , open window loosen side screws lift window into house , clean panels , pop window back
Out getting a quote for a Battery update from a professional firm (they were too expensive (RIP OFF)) and on there survey they quoted £1500 for a 6 year contract to clean my panels (14), all of what I have TH-cam'd say waste of money
I clean mine, You really can see a difference in energy output. They and you say southerns are soft. Lol
You must have weak birds in your area. The bird poo here welds itself to any surface possible. The bird poo bonded to my windscreen is still there after about 2 liters of screen wash and about 200 passes of the wipers. No rain is washing that off.
Snow foam from a pressure washer just before it rains and mine come up perfect
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CarSauce
This video must have been so pointless I've only just found it! Not sure if that's my fault or TH-cam's 😂
Would it not be safer and easier to reach out from the velux windows or is that an illusion? Maybe you're more worried about "kicking the bucket" literally indoors rather than metaphorically.outdoors😅
This was a useful video, I've always wondered how well might rain clean panels here in the UK and you've answered that question, so thank you for that.👍
I have a set of panels that are also too high, so this video is my confirmation bias support.
Mine have been up for 7 years and never cleaned.
Hi, given you normally have data about costs etc, I'm surprised you don't have data about how much you have been generating over panels life time.
If you have that you could take a view on how much their efficiency may have reduced.
I'm guessing they have not reduced enough to make cleaning them worthwhile.
I would go with if its not broken, don't fix it.
I disagree as well as I get a build up of green lichen across the lower portion of the panels that ca reduce efficiency if left for long periods.
I have them professionally cleaned every couple of years
Secure the ladder !!! really should be 2 of you - or who calls for the ambulance
You're never more that eight feet from a ....... Safety Nanny.......!?
@@andymccabe6712 eight feet isn't close enough 😄 .. but I've dealt with the result of several ladder accidents in the NHS .... and nearly done it myself
I've cleaned panels on a fully sunny day and it makes next to 0 difference, pointless as you say
You get more efficiency from the water cooling the panel rather than anything else
Ceramic coated solar panels 😊
Hello guys
Your not going to be cleaning those panels properly at all with that pole 😂😂
Diana song
There is a solution to your problem, it's called buy a bungalow…LOL…. Shorter ladder required…. Not so far to fall so safer all round…..LOL….
😂
Is it worth risking your life for
Pointing out a pointless task!
Hi andy first again 😂
Sorry I don’t think your video proved the point. There is significant evidence to prove that cleaning a solar panel will improve the efficiency and possibly increase the life cycle.
Man who details his car talking about value for money/return on effort of 1 £40 brush n a few mins..
A clean car is worth more!
The more you clean your panel the longer it will last.fact you're solar panels we're not even dirty some people's panels have lichen on and moss bird shit etc you'res are new .
They’re not new.