Solar Panel Cleaning
Solar Panel Cleaning
Professional Solar Panel Cleaning
The range extends from rotating roller heads and brushes and multi-purpose telescopic lances and adapter sets to an ergonomic carrier system. We recommend pressure washers with a water flow of over 700 litres per hour to operate the iSolar and roller brush systems, 500 litres per hour is sufficient for the rotating wash brush.
Home Solar Panel Cleaning
We recommend pressure washers from a K 4 to K 7, as these units are equipped with water cooled motors for durability. The pressure washer should be used with a TLA 4 telescopic lance to reach the panels on the roof, and rotating wash brush for effective cleaning of your solar panels at home.
Why should I clean solar panels?
Clean the panels regularly, not only because of their appearance. Contamination can reduce the electricity yield by up to 30%. Thorough, professional cleaning is necessary, and this does not only apply to the surfaces of the solar collectors. Deposits build up at the junctions between the glass and the frame, which over time can lead to the formation of moss and lichen over a wide area.
Proper cleaning of the solar panels requires the right cleaning technique due to the heavy soiling. The modules are often mounted on roofs at a steep angle of 45°, so take measures to ensure operator safety.
When should I clean photovoltaic panels?
You should clean solar systems using the correct equipment and technique, and depending on the location, amount of panels and type of dirt and conditions. A good example is in the agricultural sector, they will need to be cleaned more regularly due to the amount of dust in the environment, especially if there is lots of mechanical equipment in use that stirs up the dust, which will settle on the panels, reducing their efficiency.
Panels that are exposed to less pollution from the environment can be cleaned less regularly, in this case green electricity can be generated even more sustainably.
The right tools for cleaning solar panels
A professional high-pressure cleaner in combination with a brush attachment or a roller brush and a telescopic lance are among the best ways to clean solar panels efficiently and ergonomically.
With the right cleaning technique, it is possible to clean a solar panel area of up to 1,500 square metres per day.
Brush attachment
We recommend an attachment with two disc brushes that reach a working width of 800 millimetres. The effort required is reduced because the system neutralises the drifting movement with the help of the counter-rotating movements of the two brushes. In addition, the large working width ensures a high area output, which reduces the amount of work required for solar cleaning. The disc brushes have ball bearings and are driven by the water from the high-pressure cleaner. Low-pressure operation with cold water and a delivery rate of 700 to 1000 litres per hour is sufficient.
A nylon bristle ensures scratch-free cleaning to protect the sensitive surfaces of the solar panels during cleaning. Models with harder bristles on the outside of the plates also ensure very good cleaning results on the module frames.
It should be possible to control the amount of water comfortably via a lever on the lance while the brushes are guided in paths over the solar modules. Turning the water up a little at the beginning creates a sliding layer that makes it easier to move the brushes on the surface. A self-adjusting articulated joint to which the brush head is attached can help compensate for different working angles.
Telescopic lance
Choose the length of the telescopic lance to match the size of the system, or use an infinitely extendable lance. Longer lances made of carbon or carbon composite are lighter and therefore more comfortable to handle.
If you value more flexibility and have to clean large façades in addition to photovoltaic systems, you are better off with a variable lance system. Pole systems that are suitable for vertical and horizontal surfaces are available and can be combined with different attachments. Use a high-pressure nozzle for spot cleaning, an attachment with disc brushes for working on horizontal PV elements or a rotating high-pressure roller brush, which is also suitable for vertical façades.
Roller brushes
The advantage of roller brushes is that they are driven by high pressure and work their way up independently – meaning you need to be holding them with a significantly less force. The roller brushes can work with water flow rates from 350 litres per hour. Brushes with soft or hard bristles are available for different surfaces. We recommend soft brushes for cleaning photovoltaic systems.
Cleaning agents
If you are using cleaning agents, they should be suitable for removing stubborn, greasy soiling and mineral residues. If the water film breaks down quickly, streak-free drying without limescale stains is possible. Soaking time and rinsing shouldn’t therefore be needed, facilitating the cleaning. In order to clean the photovoltaics sustainably, we recommend a cleaning agent that prevents further soiling.
Water softening system
If the water hardness range is greater than medium, we recommend a water softening system. This prevents staining despite the high lime and mineral content of the tap water. The water softener contains a resin filter with an ion exchanger that retains limescale and minerals.
Working on solar panels: Safety precautions for cleaning
Cleaning photovoltaic panels with a cherry picker – The position of a system determines from where and with which tools the solar panels can best be cleaned in a way that ensures the safety of the employees. On roofs that are difficult to access, use a cherry picker. If the roof is easily accessible, work from the roof ridge or with the help of fall protection attached to the roof. The prerequisite for this is that the necessary safety hooks are located on the roof ridge.
Fall protection for solar cleaning – The fall protection consists of a harness around the pelvis and shoulders that is connected to a core rope. In an emergency, the harness immediately hooks on and safely catches the user. Some safety systems also include a strap fall absorber to reduce the impact in the event of a fall.
