Dirty solar panels lose efficiency, produce significantly less energy and therefore cause the owner to lose money, especially in areas where dust, pollution and other atmospheric conditions exacerbate the problem. Studies have demonstrated that dust accumulation, bird droppings, and other pollutants can reduce the output of solar panels by up to 35%. Current methods of cleaning and maintenance are often inefficient and labor-intensive. Some may lead to voiding the solar panel manufacturer’s warranty.
At Solar Power International this year, RST Cleantech says it is introducing a new method of cleaning solar arrays in the U.S. that will be low-cost, fully automated, low-maintenance, highly efficient and fully compliant with solar module warranties. Developed in Israel in 2013 with over 1,000 installations servicing over 200,000 solar panels across 5 continents RST is revolutionizing automatic Solar O&M solutions.
Unfiltered water sprayed on panels can create calcium spotting and reduce output or destroy a solar panel through “hot spotting”. RST proprietary purifying system treats any local water source (hard, soft, grey) down to safe and negligible levels of lime scale, for an advanced purified water that is distributed through an automated system.
Cleaning takes place in sync with the external conditions. RST hardware is connected through a series of patented clips eliminating any need for drilling or glue. RST does not use chemicals or abrasive brushes and there is no need for filter changes or soap refills which means virtually no upkeep. RST’s technology is designed to comply with all solar panel manufacturer standards and requirements.
RST’s system is fully automated and integrates easily with common O&M and A&M platforms.
— Solar Builder magazine
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