[dd]

Looking to provide solar panel cleaning as an add on service.

However have done some research online an spoken to some customers that have self cleaning solar panels who monitor their efficiency/performance - and providing it rains enough (which it has) and the panels are on a pitched roof then they generally require very little in the way of cleaning as their is minimal benefit because the rain does a good enough job.

There are exceptions to this and it will depend on the area and how much dust etc they will pick up from their particular environment.

Not what I wanted to hear really.

[SB Cleaning]

I have read that too

[Dave Willis]

Well, they are all wrong apparently.

[Smudger]

yes - thats what i was told by the customer (regular who has 16 panels)
he claims that over the last 18 months the output rarely changes and as yet has not/does not want
a solar panel clean

hopefully many others will 

Darran

[Jimmy Jon]

A bit like self cleaning conservatory roof glass then which surprisingly isn't self cleaning. Makes me laugh when a customer says they have self cleaning glass on their new conservatory and then 6 months later it looks absolutely terrible, covered in birds muck, dust, moss etc 

[richard jagger]

So in that case we should never clean a conservatory,and many of the newer ones are self cleaning. Its a gimmick it will only brakes down organic material e.g bird droppings. It will  do nothing to sand and road traffic film as these are not regarded as organic. For the self cleaning to work you would have to have a very hot day followed by heavy rain.Go tell you custy that.

[Jimmy Jon]

So in that case we should never clean a conservatory and many of the never ones. Its a gimmick it will only brakes down organic material e.g bird droppings. It will nothing to sand and road traffic film as these are not regarded as organic. For the self cleaning to work you would have to have a very hot day followed by heavy rain.Go tell you custy that.

 

[Richard Shepherd]

Have done 75 on an MOT station this morning, been up 18 months never been cleaned, supposed to be self cleaning but each one had a 2 inch line of green muck along the bottom edge.

Don't no if it had any detremental effect on his output, it was dark and miserable when we cleaned em..

[Smudger]

Exactly Richard - the frame was crappy and looked Kack but was the panel itself dirty ?

same applies in the main to conny's - the glass stays pretty clean but the framework turns green
in the long hot summer - some years ago  the self cleaning glass did get as dirty as any other kind
so it all has it's limitations

right or wrong if a customers is told by the supplier it will stay clean then thats what they believe...

either way, and whether it be solar panels, conny roof i'm up for cleaning it if the customer wants it done

Darran

[Jimmy Jon]

Exactly Richard - the frame was crappy and looked Kack but was the panel itself dirty ?

same applies in the main to conny's - the glass stays pretty clean but the framework turns green
in the long hot summer - some years ago  the self cleaning glass did get as dirty as any other kind
so it all has it's limitations

right or wrong if a customers is told by the supplier it will stay clean then thats what they believe...

either way, and whether it be solar panels, conny roof i'm up for cleaning it if the customer wants it done

Darran

+1 - Well said Darran! 

[dd]

To me the key is if the customer monitors performance of the panels and they stay consistent, then there is no benefit to having them cleaned - except to me of course.

Would not compare to a conservatory roof as they serve a completely different purpose, also the roof they are sited on is normally a steeper angle than a conservatory roof which allows rain to clean the solar panels more effectively.

[steve123]

Its not realistic to compare a solar panel with a conservatory roof.
Sure conny roofs get filthy, green and covered in moss. But the bad ones are usually on a north facing wall and dont get much sun.
Solar panels are the total opposite.

[R.C Property]

A year old solar panel that I cleaned, cleaned half of it to start with just to show customer how dirty they was!  it really looks like they are self cleaning doesn't it!

[Richard Shepherd]

Exactly Richard - the frame was crappy and looked Kack but was the panel itself dirty ?

same applies in the main to conny's - the glass stays pretty clean but the framework turns green
in the long hot summer - some years ago  the self cleaning glass did get as dirty as any other kind
so it all has it's limitations

right or wrong if a customers is told by the supplier it will stay clean then thats what they believe...

either way, and whether it be solar panels, conny roof i'm up for cleaning it if the customer wants it done

Darran

Not that you could visibly see, we fastened a clean micro fibre scrim to one of the pole brushes and gave it a once over just to show the customer, it was pretty sh**ty when we took it off.

[dd]

I do not know much about solar panels or if they are all self cleaning. I understand there is some difference in quality. But going from what some customers have said to me about their self cleaning panels and consistent performance, I am not sure they would benefit much by paying me to clean them.

This is obviously not what I want to hear but I like to be honest. If there is not much rain then a build of of dust/dirt would accumulate until it rained. This may explain your picture?

Thing is I really do not know for sure and was hoping Solar Steve might add his opinion as he cleans a lot of installations - though I am looking to target domestic.

[R.C Property]

I do not know much about solar panels or if they are all self cleaning. I understand there is some difference in quality. But going from what some customers have said to me about their self cleaning panels and consistent performance, I am not sure they would benefit much by paying me to clean them.

This is obviously not what I want to hear but I like to be honest. If there is not much rain then a build of of dust/dirt would accumulate until it rained. This may explain your picture?

Thing is I really do not know for sure and was hoping Solar Steve might add his opinion as he cleans a lot of installations - though I am looking to target domestic.

That picture was last year with all that rain!
I only clean domestic ones all over my area for several firms that fit them. There is no such thing as self cleaning, they have a special coating on them that keeps them cleaner for a little longer, but you need the right conditions for this to happen. But they still get as dirty as normal glass. Especially at the angles they are.

[R.C Property]

Self cleaning glass is selling tactic that they use. If they told the customers that they have to spend x amount to keep them clean they wouldn't sell as much.

Plus there are companies out there that fit them for free to houses and make money on selling electric to the electric companies, some of them have a team of cleaners that goes round cleaning them to keep the maximum profit from them!

[dd]

Thanks for the feedback RC.

[R.C Property]

Thanks for the feedback RC.

No problem, you will always get the odd ones that don't want it

[telfordwindowclnr]

I do not know much about solar panels or if they are all self cleaning. I understand there is some difference in quality. But going from what some customers have said to me about their self cleaning panels and consistent performance, I am not sure they would benefit much by paying me to clean them.

This is obviously not what I want to hear but I like to be honest. If there is not much rain then a build of of dust/dirt would accumulate until it rained. This may explain your picture?

Thing is I really do not know for sure and was hoping Solar Steve might add his opinion as he cleans a lot of installations - though I am looking to target domestic.

Hi dd.  Do you want a simple answer or the scientific answer?