AlanHarmon.net

I decided to clean my solar panels again as July is here with bright clear skies, and I want to maximize my solar panels for as much production as possible. Better yet, the weather pattern looked to be pretty stable so I would be able to compare the difference pretty easy.

The Results are in: 5.4% Increase

Cleaning my solar panels this year took my peak days from an average of 51.88 kWh to and average of 54.67 kWh, a clear increase of 5.4%, but less than the increase I saw last year.

Dirty Solar Panels

The solar panels definitely were dirty as you can see here at 5:55 am on July 4, 2024.

Bird Poop is on Some of the Solar Panels

Spray, Then Mop, Then Spray

My approach to cleaning is pretty simple - just spray them down with a strong jet stream of water, then take the broom mop and get all the visible debris off, and the film of dirt. Then just come back and spray it a second time. Then I go around and with my thumb remove any items within reach that I can remove by scraping with my thumbnail.

Starting to Look Better

At 6:09 am I am nearly half done, now working the lower half of the panels.

New Item - Little 'Fractures' in the Panel

I notices some distinct white lines, that I think are little fractures within the panels. So far my production looks fine, so I think these are just cosmetic when seen up close. I will watch this over time.

The Whole Process Takes about 1 Hour

For me, the whole process to clean my solar panels takes about one hour. I rolled out of bed at 5:30 am, and was completely finished at 6:34 am, and hour later.