Cleaning Solar Panels

wingnut771 said:
Is that 5000 indoor or outdoor?
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You would struggle to find outdoor places with 5000ppm. So measurements like this are generally for indoor spaces.

Suburbs might have slightly worse air quality during peaktime traffic, but it goes down to 400 again pretty soon. Some fancy sealed greenhouses run at higher numbers for a few days (30,000-50,000ppm) to kill pests.
 
Sopbeen said:
You would struggle to find outdoor places with 5000ppm. So measurements like this are generally for indoor spaces.

Suburbs might have slightly worse air quality during peaktime traffic, but it goes down to 400 again pretty soon. Some fancy sealed greenhouses run at higher numbers for a few days (30,000-50,000ppm) to kill pests.
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Jeez, I think I should get one, do you have a link?

Maybe you should open a window or something?
 
wingnut771 said:
Jeez, I think I should get one, do you have a link?

Maybe you should open a window or something?
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Haha the only meters we have are employed for growing weed. We need accuracy and reliability, so this is what we use: https://www.digikey.co.za/en/products/detail/sensirion-ag/SCD30/8445334

It's hooked up to Home Assistant where all of the logging and control takes place. It's probably a little overkill for general air quality...

Perhaps @Crowley can link where he bought his. I know aliexpress et al has a bunch of that kinda stuff... Unless you want to tinker and have home assistant control a fan to maintain good air quality? :)
 
wingnut771 said:
Is that 5000 indoor or outdoor?
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That was indoors.

wingnut771 said:
Jeez, I think I should get one, do you have a link?

Maybe you should open a window or something?
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Ironically the reading was so high because the sliding door in my office was open, this was just after the garden services were here so there was a ton of dust in the air.

Temu link

I use it close to my 3D printer out of curiosity. I stay in the East Rand so the chances of getting stabbed with a broken beer bottle is much higher than developing respiratory diseases.
 
Sopbeen said:
Haha the only meters we have are employed for growing weed. We need accuracy and reliability, so this is what we use: https://www.digikey.co.za/en/products/detail/sensirion-ag/SCD30/8445334

It's hooked up to Home Assistant where all of the logging and control takes place. It's probably a little overkill for general air quality...

Perhaps @Crowley can link where he bought his. I know aliexpress et al has a bunch of that kinda stuff... Unless you want to tinker and have home assistant control a fan to maintain good air quality? :)
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Im from Durban, we like weed :p
 
Saw a lady (not from local) doing the rounds in town that they clean solar panels. I've overheard something about R35/hour which sounded a bit low to me. There are a couple of businesses that have gone solar, so a nice income if there isn't any competition yet.
 
RedViking said:
Saw a lady (not from local) doing the rounds in town that they clean solar panels. I've overheard something about R35/hour which sounded a bit low to me. There are a couple of businesses that have gone solar, so a nice income if there isn't any competition yet.
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Sounds more than pet/house sitting.
 
RedViking said:
Saw a lady (not from local) doing the rounds in town that they clean solar panels. I've overheard something about R35/hour which sounded a bit low to me. There are a couple of businesses that have gone solar, so a nice income if there isn't any competition yet.
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The installer which did our solar installation asks R750 for panel cleaning, even for only 6 panels. It should not even take 20 minutes to do. I rather do it myself.
 
Stokstert said:
The installer which did our solar installation asks R750 for panel cleaning, even for only 6 panels. It should not even take 20 minutes to do. I rather do it myself.
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For R750 those panels better be spotless and look new.
 
Lupus said:
For R750 those panels better be spotless and look new.
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When I installed my panels it took less than a week for them to look brown and be covered in dust. I am yet to see a reduction in PV generation from them and its been months since any real rain fell on them. All I see is brown on them and they work just fine.

At far as I am concerned, cleaning solar panels is the same as cleaning your tyres. Its snake oil business. But for those efficiency freaks out there they can knock themselves out cleaning them for that 10% extra.
 
denmendez65 said:
When I installed my panels it took less than a week for them to look brown and be covered in dust. I am yet to see a reduction in PV generation from them and its been months since any real rain fell on them. All I see is brown on them and they work just fine.

At far as I am concerned, cleaning solar panels is the same as cleaning your tyres. Its snake oil business. But for those efficiency freaks out there they can knock themselves out cleaning them for that 10% extra.
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What is the array kwp
And battery size


Many systems has small batteries and thus cannot capture all the power it could so if the panels could generate a few kwh more over the day if you don't have the battery or load to use it it would look like you lost /gained nothing

Tldr if your battery is full way before the solar day is over any losses are compensated for with this spare capacity and thus the daily production stays the same
 
denmendez65 said:
When I installed my panels it took less than a week for them to look brown and be covered in dust. I am yet to see a reduction in PV generation from them and its been months since any real rain fell on them. All I see is brown on them and they work just fine.

At far as I am concerned, cleaning solar panels is the same as cleaning your tyres. Its snake oil business. But for those efficiency freaks out there they can knock themselves out cleaning them for that 10% extra.
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This post gave me cancer
 
i don't worry too much about the dust,
bird droppings is the reason i do cleaning
cause that section is in shade so my dust cleaning happens with this cleaning, so once i get up there i don't just wash affected panel i just do them all


 
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leon.davibe said:
What is the array kwp
And battery size


Many systems has small batteries and thus cannot capture all the power it could so if the panels could generate a few kwh more over the day if you don't have the battery or load to use it it would look like you lost /gained nothing

Tldr if your battery is full way before the solar day is over any losses are compensated for with this spare capacity and thus the daily production stays the same
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His generally will be, he likes to have them full by 10am. Just a wash down this afternoon pushed a 6% increase, which is about 400w.
 
Lupus said:
His generally will be, he likes to have them full by 10am. Just a wash down this afternoon pushed a 6% increase, which is about 400w.
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Yea the problem also
Gotta give some time to let the panels heat up again to see the gain

Cause sudden cold water cool down will cause a spike

Lets hope those with array with voltage too close to max doesn't do the wash mid day last thing they need is a spike :)
 
leon.davibe said:
Yea the problem also
Gotta give some time to let the panels heat up again to see the gain

Cause sudden cold water cool down will cause a spike

Lets hope those with array with voltage too close to max doesn't do the wash mid day last thing they need is a spike :)
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That won't happen until Summer and full sun.
 
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