As I've previously posted on Earth Day, we have a bank of twenty solar panels on the top of our home that has done wonders in reducing our electricity bill from $200 a month to less than $200 a year.
This past summer was a nice and sunny one (though mercifully not as hot as the summer of 2006), and we'd thought for sure we'd reap the benefits of our solar panels in banking a bunch of credits from producing more electricity than we used.
We were wrong.
While we did see a reduction in our electricity bills (July came in at a whopping $4), we didn't see the kinds of credits we'd expected. This flummoxed us to no end. We hadn't brought any big power suckers online since last summer (Plasma HDTV notwithstanding) yet our monthly bill showed we were drawing down more power than we were generating. Why?
Well, thanks to the innocent comment made by a fellow parent watching my daughter's soccer team, I think we know why. Our panels are filthy with dust and dirt!
We've never actually cleaned them (which means: rinsing with a hose) so all the dust and dirt and muck that's been kicked up and coated our cars in the last 15 months is just sitting there diminishing the generating power of our solar panels. How could I have not realized that as a cause for our rising energy bills?
You can bet I'll be cleaning the panels tomorrow, and I fully anticipate we'll see the impact on our bill this next billing cycle.
Keep 'em clean!
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High-Viz Yellow (HVY) is a most conspicuous color. Here's my place to relay what stands out in my daily experiences interacting with tech and new-to-me trends.
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- hvyTK
- Father of two daughters, one of two sons. Living and working and wondering in Silicon Valley.
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3 comments:
I just read that dish soap and soft rags was a good way. I worry about the salts in the water from the hose....think about how glasses look in the dishwasher if you dont use a rinse aid. Is there a product out there that would be good for solar panels.
Jeannie is right- I have been cleaning Glass (windows, mirrors, PVs) Professionally for 15 years, and have seen many windows ruined by sprinkelers and hoses inocently spraying them. Calcium, Magnesium and Silicates are the usual suspects, especially in the arid West.
Besides that, most solar panels are mounted HIGH on STEEP roofs, and butted together so you cannot move freely between them. Add to that the subtle danger of high-voltage.
Now tell me, how are you going to get a soapy rag or sponge up there without killing yourself and leaving soapy residue that will attract more dirt faster in the future?
My solution? Call a local PROFESSIONAL Window Cleaner who has insurance. The IWCA (International Window Cleaning Association) is a good place to start, or if you are in Southern Utah, Call me 5-starwindows.com
You are both right. Be very careful and do not make things worse. Minerals from your water in your home or garden can cause long term damage to the panel surfaces. I can explain a process that a home owner can posibly do or we can take care of it for you. Visit us at www.wadleyswindowcleaning.com to find your local phone # to call. We service Utah from Salt Lake to St George. When you call ask for Brett and I will help in any way I can.
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