We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Do you clean your panels?

Options
I have had my solar panels for around five years but I have never cleaned them.
I did have a low payment from the FIT last time, around half of what I would have hoped for.
I do have bird poo on the panels, as my TV aerial is above them, but this poo has been there for more than a years.
Window cleaner, DIY, how do you clean them?
«1

Comments

  • silverwhistle
    silverwhistle Posts: 3,990 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I don't but had a similar issue with a TV aerial which I removed as I don't have a TV. Normally rain and sun do the work for you, although in the short term there hasn't been much of the former!

    Have you been comparing the FIT for the same period and season, as 'last time' is a bit vague.
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 17,873 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    I agree with silvershistle; what exactly do you mean when you say:
    I did have a low payment from the FIT last time, around half of what I would have hoped for.
    Do you have records of your solar electricity generation, period by period, for at least a couple of years and ideally back to your installtion date? could you share them here?
    It's possible that the recent drop is due to dirty panels, but it's equally possible that there's a fault somewhere in your system.
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • I have had my six panel system for coming up to 12 years and I have never had them cleaned once. So far this year generation has been consistently above average.


  • QrizB said:
    Do you have records of your solar electricity generation, period by period, for at least a couple of years and ideally back to your installtion date? could you share them here?
    It's possible that the recent drop is due to dirty panels, but it's equally possible that there's a fault somewhere in your system.
    I cannot post a screen shot, I don't keep records.
    The last quarterly generation numbers are - 50/50/120/90/40/90/120/90/90/35/40/90

    March 2022 - £40.21
    June 2022 - £36.76
  • Pile_o_stone
    Pile_o_stone Posts: 192 Forumite
    Fourth Anniversary 100 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    My panels are on the garage and woodshed roof, so quite easy to access to clean them. Normally  we get enough rain to keep them clean but over the recent hot spell I noticed that they were getting really dusty/dirty. I was just thinking of giving them a clean when the weather broke and a rain downfall did the job for me. To be honest, I was getting so much generation during the heatwave that I didn't know what to do with it all, so a bit of dust didn't make much difference. However, in Winter I always get out and scrape off any snow that falls on the panels. As  you'd imagine, it makes a huge difference with generation, especially  as the daylight gets reflected around by the snow and increases the output of the panels.

    5.18 kWp PV systems (3.68 E/W & 1.5 E).
    Solar iBoost+ to two immersion heaters on 350L thermal store.
    100% composted food waste
    Mini orchard planted and vegetable allotment created.
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 17,873 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    QrizB said:
    Do you have records of your solar electricity generation, period by period, for at least a couple of years and ideally back to your installtion date? could you share them here?
    It's possible that the recent drop is due to dirty panels, but it's equally possible that there's a fault somewhere in your system.
    I cannot post a screen shot, I don't keep records.
    The last quarterly generation numbers are - 50/50/120/90/40/90/120/90/90/35/40/90
    March 2022 - £40.21
    June 2022 - £36.76
    That doesn't sound right.
    Take daily generation readings for a few days, then use this tool to produce a hindcast for your system. See how closely it matches. If you're more than 10% down, there's something wrong.
    If you're a competent DIYer you can investigate it yourself but if you're not, and you don't have a friend with the skills, you might need to get someone in. Try a local solar PV installer (ideally one wih a personal recommendation).
    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
  • QrizB said
    That doesn't sound right.
    Take daily generation readings for a few days, then use this tool to produce a hindcast for your system. See how closely it matches. If you're more than 10% down, there's something wrong.
    I will have a look, aside from taking readings, I have never done anything with my panels.
  • Ectophile
    Ectophile Posts: 7,948 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    I have had mine cleaned once.  I was looking into a local window cleaning company that also clears gutters.  And I spotted that the also clean solar panels.  So I got them to quote for the gutters and panels.

    I watched the output of my panels.  As they were being cleaned, the output dropped.  But it then went up slightly higher than before.  So cleaning can make a small difference.
    If it sticks, force it.
    If it breaks, well it wasn't working right anyway.
  • this is my generation history 
  • QrizB
    QrizB Posts: 17,873 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Photogenic Name Dropper
    this is my generation history 
    Could you share the "past payments" screen for 2021 and 2020?
    Are those bars meant to be quarterly? Some quarters are missing. And December 2021 seems to have a very tall bar for a winter quarter!

    N. Hampshire, he/him. Octopus Intelligent Go elec & Tracker gas / Vodafone BB / iD mobile. Ripple Kirk Hill member.
    2.72kWp PV facing SSW installed Jan 2012. 11 x 247w panels, 3.6kw inverter. 34 MWh generated, long-term average 2.6 Os.
    Not exactly back from my break, but dipping in and out of the forum.
    Ofgem cap table, Ofgem cap explainer. Economy 7 cap explainer. Gas vs E7 vs peak elec heating costs, Best kettle!
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 256.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.