Keep Your Solar Panels Squeaky Clean

Solar panels work best when they are clean and can collect the maximum amount of energy possible.  Even though the Solar-Breeze NX spends its days working in a sparkling clean pool, it will sometimes require a little care to operate most effectively.

The inventors of the Solar-Breeze NX had easy maintenance in mind when they arranged the solar PV panels on the deck of the pool skimming robot.  The panels are tilted by a little over 5 degrees, which keeps them cleaner than if they were perfectly flat. A stiff breeze, occasional splash or light rain will keep the panels fairly free of dirt.  With perfectly clean solar panels, the Solar-Breeze collects more than six times the energy it needs to operate all day.  Excess energy is stored in a rechargeable lithium ion battery, allowing it to run most of the night as well.

In Arizona, we experience severe dust storms, called Haboobs.  After one of these very extreme storms rolls over, you should manually clean your robot’s solar panels.  We suggest gently splashing the panels and then wiping them off with a soft towel.  You can use standard household window cleaner to remove the remaining dirt and hard water marks. Dust and dirt aren’t the only things you need to wash off the panels.  Bird droppings create an almost 100% block of the sun and these aren’t removed by a gentle rain.

Don’t use any abrasive cleaners as they will scratch the surface of the panels and reduce their efficiency permanently.  It is best to paste wax the solar panels four times per year to keep them working at peak efficiency.

Solar is a clean and renewable energy source.  Keeping your solar panels clean will give the best performance and greatest savings.