Is it just me or what but I think I have been getting less generation this year compared to 2 years ago when I had it installed.
I find it strange considering we just had a dry summer recently i would have expected more generations out of that.
Do you guys clean your solar panels often?
If so, how often? and what method of cleaning?
Haven't cleaned mine at all in 3 years, the rain fixes all the problems. Don't get anything mounted that's less than 10 degrees as per the warranty/recommendations. If you have the space, tilt them up even higher and you'll be able to clean under them which is super important to prevent bird nests which are 10x worse than dust on your solar panels.
Oh does dirty solar panels affect solar generation efficiency? By how much % if so do you guys reckon?
i use my wash drone to wash mine
Any pictures of the neighbours bush?
It's Brazilian, so privacy laws apply.
What size drone do you have that would be capable of that?
Big drone like his big wang to suit his big lies
I have mine cleaned annually by the same mob that did the bird-proofing on my panels.
oh? there is such thing? how much do they charge?
if I were to google, what sort of service should i be looking for?
Bird-proofing, or a business that cleans panels?
I could hear pigeons nesting under my panels, that was my motivation for getting the bird proofing. Bird proofing was close to a grand, the annual clean costs $231. It's a 2 story townhouse with 16 panels.
You can just google bird-proofing or solar panel cleaning, there's loads of companies that do it.
thank you, i just sent a request for a quote to one company i found via google
Doesn't that pretty much cancel out the savings from the panels or at least double the break even time?
The ones on my place have never been cleaned and are going fine, installed 2010 getting 3.5kw from 4kw of panels and inverter at peak sun. I think the risk of falling off the roof or time wasted negates any savings from me cleaning them and paying someone else even more so.
@Dsiee: My roof is very flat, and the panels aren't mounted at an angle. It's possibly more important for flat panels, as water can pool instead of run off, leaving dirt and grime as it evaporates?
Also the bird proofing has a lifetime guarantee if I have the panels cleaned annually. I don't mind it, as it serves as an inspection of the solar panels and bird proofing at the same time.
I don't have solar panels, ergo: bikies
did you get bikies to extort your neighbour so you can use their electricity or maybe tell them to stop dobbing you from using the BBQ stove at the park?
I've already said too much
its just you
oh no, i have solar anxiety
But it's less this year compared to 2 years ago. That's good
I think I have been getting less generation
What does the data say? Are you actually getting less generation?
Have you collected weather data (cloud cover) for the last two years and graphed it against your generation?
data was based on my SEMS Portal for Goodwe…
but cloud cover… i dont know where to get that data or even a scientific way of comparing the data!
All the data can be downloaded. You can compared a non-cloudy day to around the same date in the previous year
Just get the number at peak sun and see how close that is to what it should be. Usually panels are over provisioned so you should get whatever your inverters rated output is.
Daily
Edit: sorry I thought solar panels was just an euphemism.
that's it, im gonna add another review in ProductReview now
How Often Do You Guys Clean Your Solar Panels?
Never.
can you clean mine? might be a first experience for you
Never. 6 years so far. They are a bit tilted though so that helps.
good to know!
I find it strange considering we just had a dry summer recently i would have expected more generations out of that.
Solar irradiance has been decreasing…
Don't take the sun for granted and assume it will be there forever….
TSI source: SATIRE-T2
This must be some high level niche satire that is going over my head.
It is based on the surface flux transport model…
SATIRE
Spectral And Total Irradiance REconstructions
Funnily enough it does seem to be something of a joke.
https://www.investigativeeconomics.org/p/nasa-ignores-its-ow…
The SATIRE data is a reconstruction of solar irradiance based on solar magnetograms—images of the sun’s surface based on magnetic waves.
But basing irradiance on magnetograms is measuring solar strength at or close to the surface of the sun. It’s not how much is received by the Earth, which is highly dependent on the orbit and angle of the Earth relative to the sun and potentially other factors. Instead of magnetograms, satellites in the Earth’s orbit would ostensibly provide a closer measure of received solar radiation.
If only there were solar panels in the 50s
Don't take the sun for granted and assume it will be there forever….
If you don't take the sun for granted, then there would be no life left on earth.
Why do you think Elon is trying to get to Mars?
Lack of rain meant ours were covered in a fine layer of dust. Hosed down, improved the output. I'm going to use the pressure washer with the window cleaner foam to give a thorough clean.
Clean solar panels makes cents. Cheers
48c/kwh to be precise - old gov. subsidised feed-in.
There's a bunch of topics about cleaning panels on the MEEH group on Facebook, the general consensus is it's not really worth doing unless they're covered with crap (mud, bird droppings, mould, lichen, etc) that's actually blocking sun from hitting the panels. Most people say to just let the rain wash them every so often, as the difference before and after a proper wash is pretty negligible at around a 5% increase in output or something like that.
well im glad i asked this question cause now i know that such group exists
5% isn't insignificant
Plenty of people get super excited about 3% and 4% discounts here on Ozb.
5% of 4 cents is 0.2 cents, make that 20 kw per day is 4 cents of extra power per day
in a year is $14.60
Taking into account the cost of cleaning…$231 per year… you are losing $216.40 per year just cleaning….Not worth it
Taking into account the cost of cleaning…$231 per year…
Sure if you're scared of heights.
I have never cleaned mine. It isn't worth it. With a callout fee of around $200 and an export rate of only $0.05 per kWh, you would need to export a huge of extra electricity to make it pay off.
If you are just rinsing it with a hose from the ground, I would believe the natural rain already has a better effect. Furthermore, rinsing it from the bottom up can probably damage the solar panels because that is where all the wiring is. Unless you want to climb up on a ladder, then it really isn't worth it.
Then again I'm not really an electrician.
Banks Esquire.
i think so too… i got a quote for $263 for a single storey home!
Single story, just get up there with a hose and floor mop.
Same here but with a broom. Mine are only at about 5° so they do collect quite a bit of dust. Even so, once a year with no noticeable degradation in output.
i did ask for the quote just to know what they do really…
its basically just spraying and using some sort of rotary brush
OP is in Melbourne, negligible rain for at least 6 months.
This… In 15 years in far west of Victoria I've only cleaned them a couple of times when I've been on the roof for other reasons. No way I'd pay given the potential return at 5¢ kw/h
export rate of only $0.05 per kWh, you would need to export a huge of extra electricity to make it pay off.
Or you're pulling from the grid rather than using your solar and it's actually 20-30c per kWh
They cleaned the solar panels at my workplace for the first time in 15 years. They worked well before and they work well now.
do they work well?
I tend to do it every year. Just did it last weekend. Gives me a good opportunity to inspect the roof as well. We have wattles nearby and general dust.
I just get high pressure cleaner with enough hose and cord up on the roof, a mop and a bit of detergent. The whole process takes 1/2hour to an hour (18 panels). There is no noticeable difference on the graph after that, but they do look cleaner, so maybe it is just a percent or two.
The glass resin the cells are embedded
No, the cells are under a toughened glass layer that protects them against water, hail, and whatever else.
There many manufacturers. I was given several panels where the supplier went bust and the client got no more warranty.
They work until they get hot then opn circuit.
If you truly want to payless, you shouldn't assume green == woke. For many (myself included) solar panels provide a decent ROI.
Tell me you have solar without telling me you do.
"wokeness" living rent-free in your head
Cleaned mine with a pressure washer after about 10 years. Output went up 15%. Probably because they are only at a shallow angle, and dirt had accumulated along the bottom edge of the frame, and blocked some of the surface of the bottom row of cells, and the current generated is limited by the amount generated by the lowest output cells**.
(**Unless you've got microinverters.)
I had mine cleaned last year they had bird poop + lichen + dirt. Even with the high FIT that I get in the 12 months since it didn't recoup the cost of the clean which was $250. It was only a fraction of something like 0.4 to 0.8kwh a day average improvement. A lot lower then I was expecting.
I just got a reminder for my 2025 clean but not sure if I will bother now maybe later in the year.
If so, how often? and what method of cleaning?
We have a deal for those looking to DIY cleaning PV cells.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/905467
the economics of power generated alone doesn't really stack up..
you may get increased output of 5-10% for a few days, then within a few weeks to a month it will slowly dwindle back to normal
assuming a 10kW system producing say 40kWh a day, lets that's around 3kWh extra a day for around 20 days (quite generous est.), so 60kWh total.
depending on how you use or feed that in, let's be generous again and say it's worth 10c/kWh.
This works out to a grand total of $6 for the wash.
that being said.. it's good maintenance to stop long term build-up of birdschmit & dust
I wash mine just after the windy/dusty season and just rinse again with rainwater (tap water in SA is particularly 'hard' and stains) 6 months later
You can also get distilled water at the supermarked.
Interesting discussion.
I have a highset house on a small block so self washing my solar panels is out of the question. The house was finished less than a year ago and I was planning on sticking to servicing the panels once every 2yrs as recommended here:
https://www.energy.gov.au/solar/use-your-solar-system/look-a…
Recently hosed and brushed our panels and gained a significant boost after neighbour paid $200. Not sure it’s worth paying when getting 5c feed in.
Yeah never bit after reading a few comments I should do it. I’m still happy with my output…
I thought that mine had been producing less, but I just checked my historical and turns out I'm wrong.
2022: 6.3k kWh
2023: 6.7k kWh
2024: 6.3k kWh
So pretty consistent production still. Have had mine since 2020 (data recording only from late 2021) and doesn't seem to have been any degradation - just an especially sunny year in 2023.
Looks like you're in QLD with loads of rain to keep panels relatively clean
Compared to OP in Melbourne with barely a drop in 6 months.
Yeah, I wasn't discounting the OP's experience - just saying that my own paranoia wasn't warranted by simply looking at historical data.
NEVER! Had them 6 years or so.
Solar panels are for peasants! REAL Gs pay bills like a man 🙌💪
Going for dumbest post this week?
actually really interesting to read different takes on this. i jump up there with one of those spray mops and some heavily diluted detergent about once a year, only takes me about half an hour and we're low set so not too terrifying. i certainly wouldn't bother paying for it but i do use a bunch of mop pads that all turn black pretty quickly up against a panel that hasn't been cleaned in a year. so probably something i'll keep doing.
A soft bristled broom might save you some clean up on those mop pads.
Had my panels for 14 yrs and have never cleaned them. In N/W NSW so don't get a lot of rain. Also had 2 droughts. Regularly check output and don't seem to have any noticeable decline.
I'm in the Sydney area and have never cleaned them at all since installation back in 2020. It rains at least a few times a month so dust isn't really a concern.
Is this how you treat your car too?
Yes :)
I have a single-story house and just jump up on the ladder and give them a good hose down a few times a year but it would be a different story if they were covered in bird droppings.
I cleaned mine once. Was roughly 5 years after install. The average generation didn't change at all. Not worth it unless they're super dirty or have moss / lychen growing on it IMO. Although I would recommend checking for rodent / bird nests under the panels and clear them out. 👍
i havent washed mine in 5 years and i havent seen any drop in my generation. the heavy rains we get here occasionally seems to clean them enough. i dont have any trees near by the make them dirty.
Just a wet broom, hose and car wash liquid. I started out my career as a sparky. This is the best way. Don’t fall off the roof.
never
This thread needs a poll. I'm in the zero times club.
Using 2018/19 as a base, I've produced:
Year kWh Change
18/19 Total 7,959.06 100%
19/20 Total 7,638.83 96%
20/21 Total 7,342.23 92%
21/22 Total 7,572.73 95%
22/23 Total 6,286.50 79%
23/24 Total 6,779.74 85%
While it looks like it's dropping off dramatically, I think it's more about weather than panels (although I'm sure they are degrading over time).
In December 2018 I produced 939.62 kWh
In December 2024 I produced 1,010.85 kWh
But June 2019 vs 2024 is 290.73kWh vs 247.05 kWh
Friends of ours had birds nesting under their panels and didn't think much of it until they had a massive lice infestation and spent thousands to get rid of them. Bird proofing is well worth it.
Not worth falling off the roof.
You can pay someone to do that
Is your roof mostly flat? Ours is and our panel production went off a cliff around 4 years. Had them cleaned and they are almost back to brand new (production wise). I think I'll get it done yearly or every 18 months.
No rain = very dirty panels.
In fact, the minimal rain we've experienced is arguably worse as the panels get wet enough to trap dirt, but not wet enough to wash clean.
Once per year at best has been my routine. I have only hosed them down this year despite the fact they're the dirtiest I've ever seen them. (not enough time to do a proper job).
Bit of dishwashing detergent in a bucket of warm water and the sponge on an extended handle window squeegee is how I've properly cleaned them in previous years.
Then hose off the detergent.