Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Should you wash your solar panels?

incoherency.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 259 posts

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#191

Post by scarecrowbob »

CrzyLngPwd wrote: post #149
scarecrowbob wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am curious how much of a difference it makes. I have 4kw of panels and 15kwh of storage. I only get down to about 80% most nights (I heat with wood and propane). But my system will charge completely in about 2 hours of full sun. If it took 3 hours it wouldn't make a difference. So I generally don't clean them (well, the rain and snow do that work). I do remove snow, because that has a very noticeable impact. Is the…

I'm off grid, no mains power, and have 8x48v lithium Fogstar batteries in an external rack, since my cabin is small. On December 21, due to trees, my panels get around 2 hours of full sun, if the universe smiles on me. I use around 5-6kwh per day, if I use my computer, which I need for work. This will be the first year with the fogstar batteries, previously had 1x48v generic lithium battery, but last year I used the…

I can see how small efficiencies would matter a lot in that sitation.

When I had 6 100W panels and was trying to keep my laptop (and lights) running off that, then I did a lot more trying to keep them clean. If I was having to burn fuel for electricity, I'd certainly be trying a lot harder to squeeze what I can out the array.

Anyhow, good luck.

I likely am in a similar position. My hope is to get a cistern buried this year so I can have more than 40L of liquid water on hand at any given time... and then maybe even a shower :D Washing myself with a bucket is starting to lose its charm.

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#192

Post by micromacrofoot »

g8oz wrote: post #186
micromacrofoot wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually in some places panels devalue a house because some people consider them an eyesore

I believe this will pass as people get used to them as part of our modern world.

"people get used to them" is usually just old people dying

generally the markets where this happens have people who are too rich to care about electricity savings

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#194

Post by Scoundreller »

ssl-3 wrote: post #181
Scoundreller wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s the faucets and sink fixtures that can jump out at me. I… question some of the Amazon-grade ODDALLCAPS fixtures’ ability to not spring a leak in the long term. Showerheads are more whatever .

And the rest of the plumbing. I'm not saying that homeowners can't plumb properly (many do excellent work), but: Too many times, it's just ugly. Sometimes it's easy to find: The "soft" parts under the sink are a mess. Flexible pressure lines that are a mile too long, bendy pipes on the drain (this should never happen), traps in series with one another, bizarro-world TPCLALL-branded Amazon-sourced parts that simply do…

You should see what I’ve seen in France!

I now realize a lot of the bad bathroom smells are because of traps siphoning dry. Tho the general lack of exhaust fans doesn’t help. Anywho, AAVs to the rescue! And mineral oil in their version of a t&p valve if it doesn’t need to drain much to prevent evaporation of the trap water: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groupe_de_s%C3%A9curit%C3%A9

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#195

Post by madaxe_again »

ssl-3 wrote: post #181
Scoundreller wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s the faucets and sink fixtures that can jump out at me. I… question some of the Amazon-grade ODDALLCAPS fixtures’ ability to not spring a leak in the long term. Showerheads are more whatever .

And the rest of the plumbing. I'm not saying that homeowners can't plumb properly (many do excellent work), but: Too many times, it's just ugly. Sometimes it's easy to find: The "soft" parts under the sink are a mess. Flexible pressure lines that are a mile too long, bendy pipes on the drain (this should never happen), traps in series with one another, bizarro-world TPCLALL-branded Amazon-sourced parts that simply do…

And the wiring. Don’t forget the wiring. Bought a place that had a fault to earth. Took demolishing a wall to find it - previous owner had buried an extension flex inside a wall, just concreted over it - and hadn’t even done that properly - mice had gotten to it, and it was a corroded piss-soaked mess.

I have a photo of the original breaker box that looks like bad AI, it’s so unspeakably awful - just this wild spaghetti of muddy corroded wires and parcel tape with bits of string and random breakers floating in midair at jaunty angles, connected sometimes to live, sometimes to neutral, sometimes across circuits, usually doing nothing. The earthing was purely accidental. I just ripped it all out, but not before the microwave bit me one rainy morning.

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#196

Post by noir_lord »

hfsh wrote: post #189
epiccoleman wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i find it extremely hard to imagine that Donald Trump would have ever been personally involved in the sale of a vehicle at the level that he'd be making decisions about whether or not it was detailed, but I guess it's sensible generic advice

Or in the actual writing of a book, for that matter.

I’d be surprised if he can’t write two coherent paragraphs on one topic.

The bar is low and you’d still need to hand the devil a shovel.

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#197

Post by noir_lord »

manmal wrote: post #173
sgt wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's really impressive and well built solar system, for it to last thta long. It shows how durable quality panels are. I have a 6 month old ~3.7kW system (6 panels in total), planning on installing another 6 very soon. My house is surrounded by trees so it's been a bit of a struggle in the winter.

Panels should do 30 years, easy. Inverters will usually fail after 15y, and with batteries it’s unknown what the current gen will do - 15y, maybe 20? Definitely get LFP.

I’m waiting to see what the sodium packs look like before we do Solar PV (it’s on the list but not near the top so no urgency yet).

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#199

Post by rsynnott »

Aurornis wrote: post #78

Washing solar panels is one of the current popular business ideas on social media. It’s an easy pivot for anyone who already has some experience with much harder home repair handiwork involving a ladder. The reason it’s popular is because most people don’t understand the economics at all. Someone can go door-to-door in a neighborhood offering to clean solar panels and making huge claims about improving efficiency so…

Funnily enough, there was a thread a while ago here where people were fixated on the idea that you had to wash solar panels, and thus proponents are underestimating maintenance costs. I had wondered where that idea had come from, as I thought it was fairly well understood that even quite dirty panels once much of an efficiency drop…

Re: Should you wash your solar panels?

#200

Post by rsynnott »

scarecrowbob wrote: post #119

Horses for courses. My system is off grid, so any extra power is just not used, and its designed in a way that a 2-5% change doesn't do anything. That might be a more meaningful change if I were selling power to other folks. Kind of off topic, but I see a lot of folks proximate to me have built systems to turn panels so they face the sun more closely. I can see the use in that if you don't have much space or if you h…

Are these older systems? The panels are cheap now but they used to be quite expensive, which would’ve changed the economics a bit.
Post reply on HN