PV panels are exposed to soiling (dust, fungus, dirts etc.), which results in performance drop.
Is there a standard guideline for this for operators? I mean months and years after installation.
How frequent do they monitor if there has been drop in performance that is caused by soiling?
By using advanced monitoring system , or practically U can get real time data (output energy reading) by using one PV string under permenant cleaning for comparison with other PV strings.
Dear Shaharin Anwar Sulaiman,
Solar panels generally require very little serving. They are very durable and should last around 25-30 years with no maintenance. The only maintenance you should need to perform is to wash them clean of dirt and dust two to four times a year, which you can easily do with a garden hose. This basic cleaning routine ensures that the sun can shine brightly on the panel, maximizing the amount of light available to turn into electrical power. Watch out for leaves or snow falling on the panels so you can clear them away as quickly as possible.
Reputable solar energy companies provide warranties on their solar panels that last for at least 15-25 years after installation. The warranty should guarantee that the solar panel output doesn’t fall below a certain level during this time. Solar panel warranties are transferable to new home owners should you sell your home.
In general, peak power output from a solar panel shouldn’t fall below 85 percent for the first 25 years of the panel’s life. Look for solar companies that are prepared to guarantee this level of performance. Be wary of solar energy companies that don’t offer a warranty, as professional solar panel maintenance can cost as much as $2,000 over the life of the solar system.
Now efficient systems are available for checking the performance, and monitor the whole on the daily basis.
Hope you understand with my answer, if any question please feel free to contact.
Thanks.
This is a bigger problem than reported. Monitoring and calculating cleanliness also requires accurate measurement of incoming solar, which means several expensive instruments that also require frequent maintenance. Spatial variability for a large collector array is also important.
They are getting monitored regularly remotely in SCADA / PLC / DCS. Water jetting once in a month is OK if clean encvironment
Shaharin, I have a 10 year old domestic, 3.2kWp, PV system and have monitored it daily for that operiod. I plot the weekly output and look at the trend across the year and across the years, looking for any drop in performance. The seasonal changes are compared and assesed, based on the guideline output using the PVGIS database (https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/pvgis) that covers the world. Air quailty here pretty good, so I have only washed the panels twice in 10 years but other locations may well require more frequent washing. trust this is of some help and good luck. Peter
Hi Peter McKendry. Thank you for the response. It is interesting to learn that you washed the panel only twice within a decade. What's the location? Did you publish the results? Or is there a way for me to take a look at the plot? Shaharin
Shaharin, I am UK based, near Bristol, so reasonably good air quality in the countryside. Giv eme your email an dI'll send the data. Also Sheffied University runa scheme called Microgen Database (https://www.solar.sheffield.ac.uk/all-projects/microgen-database/)that collects data across the UK and compares the performance of individual PV installations with its neighbours and the PVGIS data. Peter
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