Solar Panel Cleaning

[SporranMcDonald]

I'm on 50% deemed export at the moment (I actually export 45%), what's the going rate for export payments?

I would also have the opportunity to stop the stupid pigeons trying to nest under the panels -I've seen three eggs that have rolled off the roof so far this spring!

SEG : Outgoing Octopus (variable) : 15p per kWh . . . . I think that is a national rate?
We suspect that this may be heading downwards over the longer term, but who knows ?

Flying rats & Tree rats : Pre-emptive protection is worthwhile / essential for peace-of-mind.

I'm currently researching (very)-long-reach brushes, to help keep nature OFF the PV panel surfaces.

[Stinsy]

I'm on 50% deemed export at the moment (I actually export 45%), what's the going rate for export payments?

I would also have the opportunity to stop the stupid pigeons trying to nest under the panels -I've seen three eggs that have rolled off the roof so far this spring!

SEG : Outgoing Octopus (variable) : 15p per kWh . . . . I think that is a national rate?
We suspect that this may be heading downwards over the longer term, but who knows ?

Flying rats & Tree rats : Pre-emptive protection is worthwhile / essential for peace-of-mind.

I'm currently researching (very)-long-reach brushes, to help keep nature OFF the PV panel surfaces.

The 15p/kWh never has made sense. Particularly when you can buy electric at 7p/kWh. But it has been that way for years, in fact the cheap rate dropped from 7.5p recently.

What with the general upward trend on energy prices you might even expect the 15p export rate to go up!

[Stig]

Sorted:

-and the 'before' picture again:


Got a local guy that cleans gutters etc. to do it. £190 including cleaning out all the gutters -I thought that was pretty good value as he was here for about 5 hours! All done with a water-fed brush from a scaffold tower. He's going to give me a quote to fit mesh around them to keep the pigeons out which should stop the gutters getting clogged up with nesting material (and lost eggs).

[resybaby]

Im lucky innthat i live in a bungalow, so height wasnt a huge disadvantage to me when cleaning my panels.
I used to put a ladder upto the guttering and use a 5m long pole with a squegee attached and a bucket of water left on the floor.

When i added my second system my panels went far further upto the ridge line and gable ends, so the 5m long pole became too short to reach, so ive been researching cleaning too. You can get a window cleaner to do it for £20-30, but we often, get storms with sand blown on the panels, sometimes weekly so it would be a bit expensive to keep up.

So i have bought this.



A 9m long water fed pole with integral 8mm tubing. It is HEAVY but the quality is fantastic, the brackets holding the plastic tubing togeather realy well (ive found aluminium and steels pole jam eventually) and full spares availible.

Awaiting the next time i need to clean the panels and will update on progress, but i can certainly reach every panel now from the safety of the ground, rather than the ladder.

ps doesnt help self cleaning that my roof pitch is quite flat at 30 degrees

Resy

[SporranMcDonald]

. . . i have bought this.

Thanks for this info . . . . I had a look on Ebay, but found no current Bayersan products available & no trace of that Ebay Seller.

The Bayersan.co.uk website exists with a very full range of products. However they appear to be a wholesaler only.
I'll investigate if I can wangle a direct sale in due course.

Looking forward to your operational report.

[resybaby]

Try this link Sporran

They are definately live on ebay still

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114888753054 ... 5033834717

Resy

[Richard77]

Looks a lot cleaner Stig... Did you see an increase in generation after the cleaning?

That's one of the main reasons putting me off getting solar panels on the main house roof. Seagulls and pigeons everywhere round here...

Can imagine them being covered in s#£t all the time!

[Stig]

Looks a lot cleaner Stig... Did you see an increase in generation after the cleaning?

I can't see the generation figure without going into the loft and looking at the inverter display* and anyway, the sun came out after he'd left. The proof of the pudding will be the annual generation, I'm hoping to get back some of the 15% or so I've lost over the years.

* as I'm still on crutches that's not happening just yet!

[Richard77]

Looks a lot cleaner Stig... Did you see an increase in generation after the cleaning?

I can't see the generation figure without going into the loft and looking at the inverter display* and anyway, the sun came out after he'd left. The proof of the pudding will be the annual generation, I'm hoping to get back some of the 15% or so I've lost over the years.

* as I'm still on crutches that's not happening just yet!

That's a shame Stig.... Hopefully you recover soon.

Is it an old system you have and no way of connecting to it over WiFi?

[dan_b]

On our office array, our "Octopus Outgoing" tariff was cut from 15 to 8p a couple of months ago.

I'm on 50% deemed export at the moment (I actually export 45%), what's the going rate for export payments?

I would also have the opportunity to stop the stupid pigeons trying to nest under the panels -I've seen three eggs that have rolled off the roof so far this spring!

SEG : Outgoing Octopus (variable) : 15p per kWh . . . . I think that is a national rate?
We suspect that this may be heading downwards over the longer term, but who knows ?

Flying rats & Tree rats : Pre-emptive protection is worthwhile / essential for peace-of-mind.

I'm currently researching (very)-long-reach brushes, to help keep nature OFF the PV panel surfaces.

The 15p/kWh never has made sense. Particularly when you can buy electric at 7p/kWh. But it has been that way for years, in fact the cheap rate dropped from 7.5p recently.

What with the general upward trend on energy prices you might even expect the 15p export rate to go up!