# Solar panel cleaning



## StockDogLovr (Apr 13, 2009)

Our solar set up is a bit unusual. We had a structure for livestock built with the panels put on top of that, out in our pasture next to a meter that services an ag well pump and our residential well pump. We have aggregate metering, with the production at this meter offsetting usage at our house meter. The reason we did this is a) our roof was too old to do a roof mount, but too young to re-roof b) there is too much rock around our home to make a ground mount feasible since it would have been ungodly expensive to trench to the house meter.

When we bought the home, the Ag well was no longer plumbed to anything. We insisted on a new pump for the sale since the old one had seized, but didn't realize that there was no plumping along with the new pump, so when you run it, it dumps out on the ground. This is close to the array. We need to have someone come in and plumb the pump such that we can run a garden hose out there, have a livestock tank and such. There used to be a plum orchard out there but it was cut down years ago and I guess they salvaged everything they could from the old irrigation set up.

Ok, long story, sorry. So, we got our system through an out of area co-operative that subcontracted with a local outfit for installation. Because the subcontractor was not the primary, we don't get the cleaning service that other outfits provide. We own our system outright, so maintenance is on us. That is where we have failed.

I am trying to figure a way to clean the panels! I need to get water up there, with the tallest point being about 12' I'm guessing. I thought I could drive my truck out there with a 250 gal tank we have so that I could run a pump out of it to get the water up there, but the cap for the tank is only 5 3/4" and I haven't seen a sump pump that is small enough to fit that opening. There is a power outlet at the power pole to run a pump.

Short of getting the ag pump plumbed properly, what is a short term solution? Does anyone else out there have a complicated set up that makes cleaning tough, and what's your solution?


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/RL-Flo-M...75035&wl11=online&wl12=13376324&wl13=&veh=sem


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## Heizen (Nov 7, 2020)

Hello, I didn't read whole the article. But if you want to clean your panels, Safety first: Take the necessary safety precautions and wear your rubber gloves before handling anything. This is to prevent the peroxide from irritating your skin or causing an allergic reaction. It is, after all, still a chemical. Good luck!


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## Wellbuilt (Dec 25, 2020)

I don’t know if it’s really necessary to clean the panels . 
Mine have been up 3 years now with out a cleaning . 
The panels are on my roof allmost 30’ up . 
The dust washes off when it rains
Nothing grows on them , they look ok thru my scope when I look at them . 
We have all dirt roads here and they do get very dusty , they get heavy green pollen on them that must cut production but I don’t notice it much . I’m sure you could use a pole with a car window squeegee
You could wate for it to rain then hit them with some soap and water . 
You could clean them with 5 gallons of water
I use a 35’ pole to clean off snow in the winter


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## Steveear (Sep 9, 2021)

Many homeowners can tidy up their solar panels at least once a month to ensure optimal function or performance. If you currently reside in a dry but not barren region, the solar panels will be fine with cleaning them every six months. You can do the same if you reside in a location where there is a tropical climate. Meanwhile, if you are residing in an area that is too dusty and dry most of the time, it is essential to clean the solar panels more often.


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