For ten years I have had 36 times 250 watt panels and I have never needed to clean them. Rain and snow keeps them clean. 10 MWh per year every year. Grid tied. Last fall I built an off grid adjustable array. I have five 545 watt panels on that array. Runs my full size fridge with ice maker, small upright freezer, a gaming PC, 82 inch TV, security system, mini split air conditioner and a home theater stereo. I have the solar plugged into my Ecoflow Delta pro with two extra batteries. 11.8 kWh of storage. Usually by morning I'm down 30-50 % and fully charged by 5 PM.
Flat roofs are a big problem for dirt accumulation, for sure. But washing the panels too often with soap can also cause serious problems, as well as water accumulation on flat panels during winter from regular rain. This can do a number on the seals over time, eventually allowing water and moisture ingress under the glass plate which will vastly reduce the life-span of the panels. You also want airflow under the panels to reduce the chances of them over-heating. You aren't going to get much with them that close to the roof. So you can kill two birds with one stone... give the panels a slight angle just by securing a piece of wood under a long edge of each panel. Enough of an angle such that water doesn't accumulate or puddle. I have a couple of panels that are almost flat, putting roughly 4 inches worth of wood under one edge to give them a bit of an angle did wonders for me. -Matt
But normal people do not have panels on near flat rooves! Nor do they have them so low down on a single story building that they could get up there and wash them like that. What do you do when it snows? lol.
@@OurBlackCatCottage I guessed it might be something like that. It pays when making stuff for on line to be aware not everywhere is Oklahoma! Or even usa.
For ten years I have had 36 times 250 watt panels and I have never needed to clean them. Rain and snow keeps them clean. 10 MWh per year every year. Grid tied. Last fall I built an off grid adjustable array. I have five 545 watt panels on that array. Runs my full size fridge with ice maker, small upright freezer, a gaming PC, 82 inch TV, security system, mini split air conditioner and a home theater stereo. I have the solar plugged into my Ecoflow Delta pro with two extra batteries. 11.8 kWh of storage. Usually by morning I'm down 30-50 % and fully charged by 5 PM.
Flat roofs are a big problem for dirt accumulation, for sure. But washing the panels too often with soap can also cause serious problems, as well as water accumulation on flat panels during winter from regular rain. This can do a number on the seals over time, eventually allowing water and moisture ingress under the glass plate which will vastly reduce the life-span of the panels.
You also want airflow under the panels to reduce the chances of them over-heating. You aren't going to get much with them that close to the roof.
So you can kill two birds with one stone... give the panels a slight angle just by securing a piece of wood under a long edge of each panel. Enough of an angle such that water doesn't accumulate or puddle.
I have a couple of panels that are almost flat, putting roughly 4 inches worth of wood under one edge to give them a bit of an angle did wonders for me.
-Matt
Yeah, I still need to secure them and add a bit of a tilt. They have been up there for 2 years and done ok but always room for improvement.
Some of those panels look cracked. Is that part of your issue too?
But normal people do not have panels on near flat rooves! Nor do they have them so low down on a single story building that they could get up there and wash them like that. What do you do when it snows? lol.
It's Oklahoma. It doesn't snow here. LOL
@@OurBlackCatCottage I guessed it might be something like that. It pays when making stuff for on line to be aware not everywhere is Oklahoma! Or even usa.