It makes sense that dirt, grime, tree sap and other debris on solar panels would decrease their power output – anything that shields them from the sun will keep them from absorbing as many rays as they need to be super-efficient. So, a company called OCS Energy has created a solar panel cleaning system for 100kw or larger installations that attaches to the array of panels to wash the system on a weekly basis. It’s called ‘SolarWash’, and it’s “the first commercially available automated photovoltaic panel cleaning system.”
From Earth2Tech:
OCS says if the solar installation is experiencing a loss of energy of 5 percent or more due to dirt, then the system can pay back within 3 to 5 years. (Update: The company’s CEO Richard O’Connell tells us that the system costs $0.30 per watt DC to install, and that the company is in the process of bringing those costs down.) That energy loss estimate is actually a pretty conservative claim from a solar panel maintenance company. Many of the service-oriented companies in the solar panel maintenance market say dirt and grim can reduce a panel’s energy output by 15 to 25 percent.
I wonder how many solar panel owners actually think about cleaning their panels on a regular basis. An automated solution certainly seems like it would be more convenient than having to crawl up on your roof and do it yourself, or hire a company to come out. Seems like it’d be a huge help for commercial owners of large solar arrays, but time will tell whether they deem it worth the investment.
Watch a video of the system in action over at Earth2Tech!
Link [Earth2Tech]
Photo credit: The Guardian
