Wash your solar panels!
You know, I never really thought about it that much, but the cleanliness of a solar panel can greatly affect the panel's efficiency. Duh! In fact, according to some in the solar panel maintenance industry, dirt can reduce a panel's energy output by 15-25 percent. This is why OCS Energy has developed an automated cleaning system for solar panels. Dubbed SolarWash, this system attaches to the array of panels and can wash the entire system on a weekly basis.Today, the company has just announced this system, which they're saying is "the first commercially available automated photovoltaic panel cleaning system." It's amazing that so early in the solar panel industry's boom, human maintenance service professionals are already being put out of business with automation. Although to be fair, this seems more like something to be used with much larger commercial installations. Check out a video of the system in action right after the cut below, and let us know what you think.
It's Energy Independence Day! 
Green Your 4th of July Celebration
The Importance of Pollination - It's Not Just Bee Sex
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-04-2008 @ 4:03AM
JK said...
What happens to the water? Is it filtered and reused? Or does it just get wasted?
Reply
11-04-2008 @ 11:04AM
Rich O'Connell said...
The spray system was designed to use "reclaimed water" so we can reuse the water by sending it through a "gray water" filter system to remove the dirt and soap. And the spray nozzels won't get clogged!
One of the other benifits of the system is the ability to circulate water during the hot time of the day and cool off the panels increasing the preformance.
Reply
11-05-2008 @ 11:21PM
SpreadingSolar said...
Rich - you're right that cooler panels put out more energy but it's actually a really bad idea to put water on your panels in the hot sunny afternoon. The problem is that the system is running at a very high voltage and you run the possibility of creating a breakdown voltage between the cells and module frame. Most modules are supposed to stand up to this but in general you're much better off cleaning the modules when they're not under sun.
Reply
12-16-2008 @ 11:54AM
John said...
After close review of these automatic wash systems I have concluded that they are functional, but only to a small degree.
Most issues with clean panels is not just the thin layer of dust, that these systems can remove, but it is the sticking debris like sap, bird dropings, leaves, etc that these systems will not. Nothing will ever fully replace a man and his cleaning brush.
I will stick with the guys at Solar Maid to keep my system running at its best.
John Rainer
System Owner
South Florida
http://www.mygreenscene.com/thesolarmaidcompany/index.html
Reply