Cleaning Solar Panels

Flanders said:
Right now appears at around 19C. You bring up an interesting point. That does seem to have an effect. On really hot sunny days, generation actually seems to suffer?
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Yes, temp affects it. This is why you leave 10% headroom on your vmax for those cold mornings when designing the system so you don't blow the mppt controller. 25 degree drop will increase voltage by 0.36% per degree, so a 6 panel array @ 300V will increase by 9% at 0 degrees Celsius. Naturally, the same applies with temps above 25 degrees. Maybe the panel is at 60 degrees at midday so loses 12.6% (60-25=35*0.36).
1712223559618.png
 
wingnut771 said:
Yes, temp affects it. This is why you leave 10% headroom on your vmax for those cold mornings when designing the system so you don't blow the mppt controller. 25 degree drop will increase voltage by 0.36% per degree, so a 6 panel array @ 300V will increase by 9% at 0 degrees Celsius. Naturally, the same applies with temps above 25 degrees. Maybe the panel is at 60 degrees at midday so loses 12.6% (60-25=35*0.36).
View attachment 1685939
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Well, I trust my installer has taken all that into account. They're an experienced bunch so not too concerned. Haven't gone through a winter yet with solar but keen to see the graph on the first fokoff cold clear day.
 
Flanders said:
Well, I trust my installer has taken all that into account. They're an experienced bunch so not too concerned. Haven't gone through a winter yet with solar but keen to see the graph on the first fokoff cold clear day.
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Ah my sweet summer child :-). Sometimes you can get better performance in winter vs summer in JHB
 
W@P said:
I wash mine every second or third month when my guy is up there cleaning the gutters. He uses some mild ratio mixed solar panel cleaner I got from takealot and a window squeegee.

I get on average about 65-75 extra hp after each clean.
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Solar panel cleaner, no one can ever fault South Africans for not having the entrepreneural acumen.
 
Anyone who is in the Pretoria area towards the North might have seen the PPC panels, so caked in cement that you can hardly see there are panels there, if you can still see the cells in yours, they are fine.
 
Flanders said:
Well, I trust my installer has taken all that into account. They're an experienced bunch so not too concerned. Haven't gone through a winter yet with solar but keen to see the graph on the first fokoff cold clear day.
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You can do it on your next hot sunny day is spray the hosepipe on the panels at midday and watch the power increase.
 
xrapidx said:
I went up a few weeks ago to do waterproofing, mine are filthy, probably because they're almost flat - they seem to stay cleaner in winter, I went up just after winter last year and they were fine.

I bought the following two products, will probably go up next weekend - if its too much PT, I'll get someone in next time to do it, they charge about R1k for 20 panels.

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com

(genuises at takealot stuck a fragile sticker over the mixing instructions (i.e. ratio))

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com
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Lmao, they did the same with mine when I ordered it. I just wing it, the ratio. In a spray bottle with some water.

My guy sprays down the panels with a hosepipe and then sprays some of that stuff and then the squeegee or microfibre lance thing then rinses the panels. Instant extra 26kwh.
 
We've got bloody pigeons shitting and scraping the panels all the time :mad:
Nothing seems to deter them from either trying to nest, or do their courting up there.
 
I get a full 110 Watts on my Ecoflow solar panel all day in the garden with the sprinkler over it. The panel stays nice and cool. Otherwise it gets hot and burns the grass, left with dry yellow patch after 1 day use in the sun.
 
rh1 said:
Option 1:

Option 2: (harder to get):
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Neighbour's cat roams here all the time and has even on a few occasions climbed on the roof (crazy ninja).
Scares the pigeons off for a day, only for them to return again.

We've drawn some stuff around the bottom of the panels to prevent them from going underneath to nest, but they still sit on the top of the roof, or on the slanted panels where they **** and slide & scramble to get their footing - but by joe they will find a way to sit there.

Awhile ago two were courting and the male was slapping the female with his wing repeatedly - sometimes hitting the panels I think, as he then managed to slap his wings against the white facia boards - leaving neat bloodmarks from his raunchy play :mad:
 
Conack said:
We've got bloody pigeons shitting and scraping the panels all the time :mad:
Nothing seems to deter them from either trying to nest, or do their courting up there.
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I heard this works a treat coz it looks like a snake:
1712229244449.png
 
wingnut771 said:
I heard this works a treat coz it looks like a snake:
View attachment 1686011
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I honestly appreciate the suggestion - and hope there's more.
Unfortunately I've tried these already to no avail.

Have chucked rubber snakes around, also no joy.
Throwing stuff at them makes them fly away to the roof next door, but only for a while.

Placed plastic spikes at areas where they nested before, they they either go elsewhere or just use force to circumvent it / push it over.

Looking for one of those spinning metal things you see on industrial rooftops, but not sure if it's legal to have on a residential roof.
 
Conack said:
I honestly appreciate the suggestion - and hope there's more.
Unfortunately I've tried these already to no avail.

Have chucked rubber snakes around, also no joy.
Throwing stuff at them makes them fly away to the roof next door, but only for a while.

Placed plastic spikes at areas where they nested before, they they either go elsewhere or just use force to circumvent it / push it over.

Looking for one of those spinning metal things you see on industrial rooftops, but not sure if it's legal to have on a residential roof.
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Worth a squirt?

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com
1712231092963.png
Hadedas seem immune though:
1712231164636.png
 
RonSwanson said:
Snake oil.
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For a second I thought you meant spraying snake oil on the roof to scare the birds with the smell.
Can just imagine me walking into a petshop and asking for a bottle of "snake oil"... :ROFL:

But ja, I've read mixed feedback on those (the swirly things) too.
wingnut771 said:
Worth a squirt?

Takealot.com: Online Shopping | SA's leading online store

South Africa's leading online store. Fast, reliable delivery to your door. Many ways to pay. Shop anything you can imagine: TVs, laptops, cellphones, kitchen appliances, toys, books, beauty & more. Shop the mobile app anytime, anywhere.
www.takealot.com www.takealot.com
View attachment 1686041
Hadedas seem immune though
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Thanks, at this stage I'm willing to try anything to keep the panels pigeon free.
 
I will sometimes go outside our house and our dirty solar panels will catch my eye, anxiety rises up and I go back inside our house to get a bucket, cloth's, sponges, etc. I then go outside to get our ladder which I set up leaning against one of the gutters close to the section of roof that has one of our solar panel arrays. I grab the cleaning paraphernalia I gathered earlier and head up the ladder but stop as I get just above the gutter that the ladder is leaning on. It is then that I remember how much @Priapus laughed at me when I told him how I cleaned the solar panels at our last house, I decide **** this **** and climb down the ladder to head back inside...
 
Neuk_ said:
I will sometimes go outside our house and our dirty solar panels will catch my eye, anxiety rises up and I go back inside our house to get a bucket, cloth's, sponges, etc. I then go outside to get our ladder which I set up leaning against one of the gutters close to the section of roof that has one of our solar panel arrays. I grab the cleaning paraphernalia I gathered earlier and head up the ladder but stop as I get just above the gutter that the ladder is leaning on. It is then that I remember how much @Priapus laughed at me when I told him how I cleaned the solar panels at our last house, I decide **** this **** and climb down the ladder to head back inside...
Click to expand...

:ROFL: :ROFL:

Just think of all the back pain you're saving yourself.
 
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