Hello, Solar Enthusiasts! I’ve been delving into an exciting study that’s making rounds in our solar community. It explores the intricate effects of pollen on solar panels. More specifically, how tree pollen can affect the performance of our beloved solar arrays for home. The implications are interesting and something that I, as a solar expert, thought you should know about.
Turns out, the seasonal menace we usually associate with allergies can take a toll on power production. Surprisingly, tree pollen can cut down solar panel efficiency by an expansive 15%. Defying popular belief, heavy rain does not give instant, comprehensive cleansing. Even after the rainy downpour, the recovery of your solar panels could still be gradual.
The comprehensive study was helmed by some bright minds from esteemed institutions both from the U.S. and abroad. These researchers were intrigued by the persistence of certain types of tree pollens. Cypress, juniper, pine, and oak pollens were particularly stubborn, showing a tenacious stickiness to solar panels.
The impact of the pollen eruption isn’t insignificant either. During peak pollen seasons, the efficiency of solar panels can drop by a hefty 15%. Even after a convenient rain ‘bath’, unwashed panels can suffer an annual production loss hovering around 10%. You’re probably wondering, ‘Can I do anything about it?’ Indeed, you can! Manual cleaning, post-rain, with a wet brush can trigger an encouraging performance increase. You can expect your panels to perform between 5% to 11% better!
However, it’s important to stress how results may vary. These factors are dependent on where your home is situated. Pollen types, intensities, seasons, and other environmental facets differ from region to region, actually even within the regions themselves. For instance, dust is more of a concern in desert areas, while agricultural spaces have to deal with pollen during certain seasons. For those on the East Coast, residing amidst a wet climate and dense tree covers, pollen challenges are a perennial concern.
Getting down to specifics, what kinds of pollen are we dealing with? The researchers found tree pollen to be the prevalent offender during spring, heralding a significant impact on solar generation. Interestingly, grass and weed pollens that peak towards summer’s end did not correlate with high soiling losses like their tree counterparts.
More research is underway to dissect this problem further. Factors such as pollen shapes, sizes, and their adhesion levels can impact how they stick to your solar panels. Environmental conditions like relative humidity and wind patterns also play their part.
Solar owners, here’s some advice. If you plan to brush off the pollen from your solar panels, opt for a soft brush rather than a hard one. While a hard brush may take off the pollen in one go, it could also damage the delicate anti-reflective coatings on your panels. That, folks, means long-term, permanent loss. So, a soft brush—and one that is proven to be safe for anti-reflective coatings— is your best bet.
It’s good to remember to minimize the damage while caring for our solar array for home. After all, understanding these nuances of solar panel maintenance can allow us to wring every bit of efficiency from our solar panels for your home. With a little effort, we can keep these power producers at their most efficient, year-round.
Original Article: https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/01/09/rain-insufficient-for-removing-tree-pollen-from-solar-panels/
