Caring and Maintenance of Solar Panels

Climate change has caused unrest the world-over due to various catastrophic events that have ravaged societies. According to the Afrobarometer report released on the 1^st of September 2021, Zimbabwe is making progress on climate action, education and electricity. Due to the fact that Zimbabwe has made progress on climate action it has moved off grid and has highly commended and embedded renewable energy. Most of the industries and residential areas have embraced this government initiative on adopting renewable energy. This has also given an opportunity for local start-ups, entrepreneurs and SMEs to exploit this grey area. 

In the event of using solar panels to generate electricity, it is essential for the owner to maintain it. There is need to understand that roof top solar panels may become dirty because of exposure to  dust, bird droppings, sand, or pollution. An unclean panel runs the risk of becoming less efficient and thereby producing less electricity.

Types of solar panels:

• Photovoltaic solar panels
• Thermal solar panels
• Hybrid solar panel

Precautions that must be taken during cleaning solar panels

Hard water:  leave white residue that diminishes photovoltaic output

Abrasive sponges:  scratch the panels

Very cold water: Cleaning with very cold water on a warm panel can result in thermal shock and permanently damage the solar panel

Very high-pressure water:  damage the joints in the panel frame

Solvents and detergents: products may damage the surface of the solar

Safety is of utmost importance:

• Avoid taking the unnecessary risk of climbing onto roof
• Avoid leaning too heavily on the panels
• Do not touch the electrical components
• Extreme care should be taken if surfaces are slippery or wet

There is need to always secure ladders before climbing onto the roof. Currently, there is no regulatory maintenance framework to adhere to with respect to solar installation, but following the manufacture’s specification is key. The cleaning and preventive maintenance should be done periodically to ensure panel efficiency.