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Old 09-02-2015, 05:16 PM   #1
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Escapies with the Solar Option...

Our 17B is equipped with the Solar Option. As time passes the panel laying horizontally accumulates dirt. That's a fact. My question is: how do you deal with the accumulating "dirt". Do you clean the panel(s) on a regular basis or just once a year or never. I have to think that a "clean" solar panel generates a lot better than a "dirty" one.

Fred Alexander
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:24 PM   #2
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I haven't had solar on a roof yet Fred, but I would likely just wait until the rain washes it off. Driving in the rain would be better.

I do wonder though, that if a good wax would help shed stuff off easier. Is it acceptable to wax a solar panel?
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:29 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by fbalexander View Post
Our 17B is equipped with the Solar Option. As time passes the panel laying horizontally accumulates dirt. That's a fact. My question is: how do you deal with the accumulating "dirt". Do you clean the panel(s) on a regular basis or just once a year or never. I have to think that a "clean" solar panel generates a lot better than a "dirty" one.

Fred Alexander
Fred,
We don't have our 17 w/ solar yet, but we do have solar on our home. I hose it off and squeegee the dirt off regularly (once a month is typical). You can expect a 10-20% increase in output with a clean panel as opposed to a visibly dirty one. Just think of the difference between looking out of a clean windshield vs. a dirty one.
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:41 PM   #4
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I check mine more often when dry camping, but usually at least once every couple of weeks. I have a "duster" I picked up at the Quartzite tent sale that works unless the grime is bad enough to require washing, in which case I hose it off.

I'd avoid wax since much of it has a UV inhibiter, which would cut down some of the light hitting the panel.
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:42 PM   #5
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I haven't had solar on a roof yet Fred, but I would likely just wait until the rain washes it off. Driving in the rain would be better.

I do wonder though, that if a good wax would help shed stuff off easier. Is it acceptable to wax a solar panel?
Jim,
Since the panels absorb more than just visible solar radiation, waxes may block a small portion of the available solar energy.
Here's recommendation from one of the mfr's documents.

"Given a sufficient tilt (at least 15°), it is generally not necessary to clean the modules (rainfall will have a self-cleaning effect). In case of heavy soiling, we recommend cleaning the modules using plenty of water (from a hose) without any cleaning agents and using a gentle cleaning implement (a sponge). Dirt must never be scraped or rubbed away when
dry, as this may cause micro-scratches."


I have found that after loosening the dirt and rinsing, when I squeegee, some additional dirty water comes off (therefore-more dirt), but then the panels look new. I want every watt I can get.
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:44 PM   #6
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Ah yeah, I never considered the UV blockers in wax. So much for thinking today.
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:52 PM   #7
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My panel is at belly band height. I gave it a good wash off the other day because it was filthy. Unfortunately Jim, rain doesn't do much to clean off accumulated grime on a flat surface, especially since it is also slightly captive and sits there in puddles.

After having solar panels visible on my boat, I agree, once they get dirty output goes down. So it is worth making an effort to clean them.

I think that if I had them on my roof I'd consider putting on an RV type ladder just to making cleaning easy.

Ron
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Old 09-02-2015, 05:55 PM   #8
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Unfortunately Jim, rain doesn't do much to clean off accumulated grime on a flat surface, especially since it is also slightly captive and sits there in puddles.
Boy o' boy, 0 for 2 on this thread now. I think I better go somewhere else to play.
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Old 09-02-2015, 06:25 PM   #9
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That is one major advantage to mounting the panels on the roof. You can't see how dirty they are, thus no need to clean!

I suspect cleaning them would be one of the first steps if the solar wasn't keeping the batteries up. i.e. get a ladder and see how dirty they are, leading immediately to rinsing them off.

Thanks.
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Old 09-02-2015, 08:39 PM   #10
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When I wash BlackJack, maybe 3-4 times a year I use a brush with a handle to clean the solar.
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Old 09-02-2015, 08:47 PM   #11
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I will wash the roof and solar panels once or twice a year. Haven't noticed any degradation in panel performance in between washes.
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Old 09-02-2015, 09:11 PM   #12
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Well when I retire next year that solar panel is going to sparkle.

We got the escape last August. I washed the solar panel once a few weeks ago.

We notice no difference in output because we've never had a problem. We love the solar and our twin 6 batteries
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Old 09-02-2015, 09:17 PM   #13
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I will wash the roof and solar panels once or twice a year. Haven't noticed any degradation in panel performance in between washes.
It's not like they stop working. The drop-off can be quite minor. It would take a real coating to drop them to nothing. But for those of us who monitor the output to the second decimal place it is measurable. It's the same rationale for having tilting and swiveling panels, the desire to optimize the output.

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Old 09-02-2015, 09:51 PM   #14
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It's not like they stop working. The drop-off can be quite minor. It would take a real coating to drop them to nothing. But for those of us who monitor the output to the second decimal place it is measurable. It's the same rationale for having tilting and swiveling panels, the desire to optimize the output.

Ron
But since that minuscule decrease in performance has no impact on our use of the trailer, it is really quite inconsequential to us.
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Old 09-03-2015, 12:05 AM   #15
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There's a fair number of crows in my neighborhood, the older “resident” crows leave me alone but the youngins sometimes like to use vehicles as a bombing range. So far they've missed the solar panel, (still bombers in training), but I still keep checking so their “bombs” will wash off easily.
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