Industry Insights

Apr / 2024

Headed to Hannover Hesse

Apr / 2024

Brightening the Future: Overcoming Soiling Challenges in Solar Power

Apr / 2024

Maximizing Solar Farm Efficiency: The Economic Case for Robotic Cleaning Solutions

Mar / 2024

Efficiency Under the Sun: Addressing the Hidden Challenges of Solar Farm Cleaning

Frequently Asked Questions

We are currently working in Canada, Australia and the United States and exploring expansion in additional countries where soiling is a challenge.

We are extremely effective on Array Technologies Inc. trackers as our mode of operation allows operators to clean an entire row by stepping over the drive shafts, unlike tractor mounted brushes that need to reverse and waste valuable cleaning time. Our RB1 works on Nextracker systems and with a dual RB1 washer deployment we can wash two parallel rows at once without invoking wash mode and reducing power production. Our designs and methods maximize cleaning efficiency.

Our productivity rates depend on several variables including the length of rows, module size, the number of obstructions, the terrain, and soiling levels. Our highest efficiency is achieved when we deploy two RB1 washers and one support unit. The recommended operations methods depend on the type of tracker. With two RB1 and one support unit, we typically see 2800 – 4000 panels per hour. Please contact us with your solar farm details so we can model expected productivity rates.

SolarOptim is focused on designing safe solutions. All the operator touch / lift points are dielectric to isolate the operator from the conductive portions of the washer and the array. We have emergency shut off switches and a dead man control handle so if the operator releases the switch the RB1 stops. Our solutions do not depend on maneuvering heavy equipment on uneven terrain, in narrow rows and access roads minimizing the risk of damage to the solar infrastructure.

Many factors influence the frequency of washing. We see two models emerging in the utility scale PV cleaning sector. First, the O&M company has a contractual commitment to clean on a set schedule or interval such as once per year. Second, is a more data driven model where the O&M company deploys soiling stations in one or more locations on large farms and calculates the soiling losses to determine the cleaning requirements on an ad hoc basis. A myriad of other site-specific factors also influences timing and frequency. These could include proximity to roads, construction sites, agriculture, pollen producing vegetation, bird migrations, rain seasons, and weather patterns. For farms covering several hundred hectares the frequency of cleaning can vary by section to section based on proximity to agriculture, roads, and construction.

Washing PV solar panels should restore the power production to the capacity at the time of install less the expected annual degradation for the age of the panel. If the calculated soiling loss prior to washing is 9% for example, the operator should expect an increase from washing equivalent to the soiling loss immediately following the cleaning under the same irradiance levels and before soiling starts to again degrade the power production. The decision to wash panels is based on soiling levels, the loss of production (MWh) and the revenue per MWh relative to the cost of washing.

One of the requirements in our design was to make the washers usable by general labourers which expands the available labour pool especially in remote locations. A supervisor with training and knowledge of our Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) can easily configure the equipment for optimal performance and oversee a crew of 10 and multiple RB1 at site for safe and efficient use of our equipment. Unlike competitive tractor, skid steer or excavator mounted washing brushes, our equipment is easily transported by pick-up or ute without the need for transport trucks, specialized operator and driver’s licenses.