How to clean and maintain your solar plants?

Did you know that a solar system which is not cleaned for over a month will reduce the power generation by 30%? Solar panels are the heart of solar photovoltaic systems. However, they require maintenance to ensure performance and efficiency.

Regular cleaning helps reduce dust buildup and exposure to toxic chemicals, which can affect solar system performance. In addition, there are risks of outages and downtime on account of component failure, electrical faults etc. These are just a few of the events that can directly affect your solar generation if your solar plants are not cleaned and maintained regularly. So it's important to clean your solar panels and maintain your solar system. This reduces risk and maximizes efficiency and return.

Do solar panels need to be cleaned regularly in order to maintain top efficiency or will the occasional rainstorm suffice?

In a dry climate where dust buildup is the main issue, the problem remains pretty straightforward: a lack of rain results in dust buildup that might get progressively worse the longer the dry spell lasts. Meanwhile, normal rainfall can rinse away dust and keep solar panels producing at around 95 percent of their maximum capacity. But this depends on the location where your solar panels are installed.

If you live in or around a tree-lined area, your solar panels will have birds dropping which cannot be cleaned by rainwater only. Also nearby trees will drop lots of leaves that can cover the surface of the panel and make it difficult for sunlight to be absorbed.

In areas that experience high pollution, especially near factories and highways you should regularly clean your solar panels to keep them as efficient as possible. Using a pressure washer will remove accumulated dust. Thus regular maintenance is important to keep your panels clean and in good working order.

Maintaining solar panels: How do you do it?

Managing your solar panels is simple: they’re really quite durable and easy to maintain.

• Cleaning- Cleaning the solar panels once in a month will reduce the soiling loss. Thus, ensuring that your solar panel receives optimal amount of sunlight and gives good generation. Cleaning is a very important step in the operation process. To remove a layer of dust, panels are simply washed with soft water. If the module has thick dirt or grime and bird droppings, which are harder to remove, cold water is used and the panel surface is cleaned with a sponge. Sometimes, soft detergents are also used along with water for easier cleaning. Metal brushes should be avoided to prevent wearing of the panel surface.
• Monitoring- Keep an eye on your Solar monitoring platform. Here, you can monitor your everyday generation of the solar plant. Also, the monitoring platform pops up with an alert if there is any issue in your solar plant. You can contact your solar installer, if you find your monitoring platform indicating an error.
• Checking wiring and connections- You can call someone from your solar panel installer team. They will come to your home and take a look at your panels, check wirings, insulation and connectors, just to make sure everything is working as it should and there is no breakage.
• Annual inspection of structure- All solar module mounting frames need to be inspected to ensure that the frames and modules are firmly secured. The bolts are tightened once a year and ensure that they are rust free. All the junction boxes must be inspected for any indications of rodent damage or insect penetration.

A Solar PV installation is a long-term investment that is expected to return you year after year. The key is to ensure that these returns are optimum and that your assets are protected, just as you would with any other investment.

Cleaning solar panels can be a big job. But through proper maintenance and using the right equipment for cleaning, solar panels can be cleaned without being damaged.

If you are looking for solar panel maintenance and cleaning services, look no further than Sunson Energy. Our team of highly trained and skilled professionals are able to service any size Solar PV installation. From inspecting and repairing solar panels, to solving your electric bill woes, we make sure that your investment is in good hands. We provide AMC services which include, cleaning modules every month, checking of inverter for correct settings, checking net-meter charges by DISCOM, inspect terminals and connections, check safety equipment, you will get the monthly performance report of your solar plants, we will check all electrical equipment and monitor your solar system everyday.

We care about your solar panels. That is why we offer a full array of services, tailored to the needs and requirements of all our customers. Our green commitment extends from the design, installation and maintenance of PV systems, through technical support and up to the point where our aim is to get you back on track in as short an amount of time as possible with minimal downtime.

Count on us for the best AMC services and to maintain your solar system so that it is a long term investment. Get in touch with us to avail the AMC services!