Cleaning Solar Panels

Went hiking in Magalies yesterday and you couldn't see the mountains at all not very far away - all blanketed by a dusty, smoggy haze.
Could see it driving to the South on Saturday, the highway was hazy as well. But even to see it at Magalies wow.
 
So it's apparent that clean panels can make a difference. What also seems apparent is the effect caused by air quality itself. Air quality in Jhb has been quite terrible lately. On Saturday AQI was at around 150 and today I'm seeing 104. This is likely due to the amount of dust and particles in the air due to the wind at this time of year without any rain.

I cleaned really dusty panels on Friday but have not seen a huge difference since. Even with no clouds I'm barely hitting 80% of peak and today it's 77%.

Bottom line is we need some rain to clean up the air.

Yep, noticed it as well, thought it may just be @PhireSide visiting Jhb but he is back home and the Jhb air is still dirty.
 
Was quite a thing to see. It is very likely due to seasonal biomass burning/land clearing all the way in central/southern Africa. Yes it does make it this far down south, out towards the Indian Ocean.
You can see it in the visible satellite imagery, as well as aerosol indices and fire anomalies. Botswana is lit up!
 
Yep, noticed it as well, thought it may just be @PhireSide visiting Jhb but he is back home and the Jhb air is still dirty.
Goeie fohk, the air up there is so thick you could almost chew it. I had sinuses all day every day when I was visiting.

The only benefit to JHB I could find thus far is that it's a dry heat and at least everything isn't sticky all the time.

Flying back to 90% humidity was fun :(
 
it's a dry heat

6a00e0099839558833017ee9f50ec3970d-pi
 
Even though it's sunny, generation is still sucking this last couple of days, AIQ has been over 100
 
Must be all the people burning stuff to heat water as they can't afford leccy anymore.
Yeah, or it's all that diesel being burnt in Mpumalanga making its way down.
Though apparently it might be coming from much further north.
 
Yeah, or it's all that diesel being burnt in Mpumalanga making its way down.
Though apparently it might be coming from much further north.

Seems like it's emanating from Gunteng itself and it's fukking bad...

aqi.jpg

These numbers are up there competing with the worst of the worst. I just hope it improves soon.
 
Seems like it's emanating from Gunteng itself and it's fukking bad...

View attachment 1844957

These numbers are up there competing with the worst of the worst. I just hope it improves soon.
I just google an air quality map, apperently you dead if you live near Ghandi hill in KZN:
Screenshot_20250902_140839_Chrome.jpg
Zoomed in:
Screenshot_20250902_140805_Chrome.jpg
 
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