[collabs]

Maybe the thing to do is to NOT upgrade existing working panels but rather set up a different/separate entity with completely different accounts and new panels?

And about the washing, I wonder if it would be worth it to automate the process with a spray of water periodically? You can still wash the panels but I suspect it won't be necessary if there isn't too much dust accumulation? Isn't rain supposed to wash away the dust? What am I missing here?

[rjmunro]

It may also be worth spraying them with water when they are too hot. As they get hotter the efficiency drops a little. It's only a few percent, and usually it happens at the time you need the efficiency the least because it's sunny, but if you can combine cleaning and cooling and get a few extra w out if it, why not.

[Tade0]

Solar panels are increasingly being oriented east or west instead of south, as while it reduces overall yield, it maximises power when it's needed the most - during morning and evening peaks.

I don't have numbers, but I suspect it alleviates issues with dust buildup and temperature.

[cestith]

Tracking systems are also becoming more popular. You spend a little more up front but get a lot more usable power.

[bradfa]

The most interesting trackers to me, for DIY install in my yard, is a 2-axis tracker. Especially in summer, sunrise and sunset are quite a bit north of east and west, meaning a true south facing fixed set of panels wouldn't even see the sun yet.

Sadly, my investigations a few years back indicated that a suitably strong and robust 2-axis tracker that would withstand our local winds and snow loads is significantly more expensive than just buying more panels and facing some of them east/south/west to accomplish the same thing. Doing this on an existing shed also avoids some local zoning rules vs a dedicated ground mounted system.

[rcxdude]

I get the impression they are getting less viable because the extra cost and maintenance outweighs just putting more panels down. There are some calculations that suggest even mounting them on angled frames might not be worth the cost, depending on how dirty they get when you just lie them flat on the ground.

(This assumes that you have enough space, but for grid-scale solar this is not the limiting factor. The costs are roughly in order from most to least: the cost of the inverters and grid connection, the cost of installing the panels, the cost of the panels themselves, then the cost of the land to put them on)

[bruce511]

I can speak to this somewhat. My panels are on adjustable frames. Typically I switch from flat (summer) to tilted (winter).

As always ymmv and depends somewhat on your location. I'm around 30 degrees from the equator.

During summer, lying flat gets a lot more power. And more importantly the start and end of the generating period is longer. Ie the panels get more sun in the morning and evening thankfully they were tilted.

In winter the sun is more "from one direction" and obviously is lower on the horizon.

[kaelwd]

Panels are so cheap now you're better off just installing twice as many without tracking.

[sluongng]

isn't that more of a storage issue, which a home battery would solve?

[wongarsu]

A battery would solve it, but it can be cheaper to have additional panels oriented east and west than to add the equivalent battery capacity

[collabs]

The upcoming "balcony solar" legislations will allow up to a limit (iirc 1200W in Virginia) of solar to be directly be connected to the electricity outlets of a house to make our electricity costs lower without having to pay for a battery from what I understand.

[toast0]

Storage is one way to move time of supply to match time of demand. Offsetting the time of supply directly is simpler, although it probably doesn't offer a complete solution.

[collabs]

Yes, I meant I can get on board with automatically (periodically or based on some trigger or sensor) spraying the panels with water but I was hoping it isn't necessary to use Windex® or even dish soap on the panels themselves.

[fckgw]

> You can still wash the panels but I suspect it won't be necessary if there isn't too much dust accumulation? Isn't rain supposed to wash away the dust? What am I missing here?

In places where solar panels are used the most, like the Southwest US, there isn't much rain to speak of. Panels get a lot of dust accumulation from Feb-Nov typically, just when they're needed the most.

[conductr]

The author had ground level access. In that case, A microfiber covered sponge on a pole with a 5 gallon bucket of soapy water is probably the easiest thing. Especially if you do it annually, the dust wouldn’t be completely caked on requiring scraping and excessive elbow grease.

I do a similar procedure for my house windows. I use a squeegee on those but probably not necessary for panels.

[ido]

Some places don't get much rain (and these are the places that tend to get even more dust - e.g. deserts).

[BurningFrog]

Look at any outside surface in a rainy climate.

The dirt may not be piling up, but it's far from clean.