Last week in Australia saw massive dust storms hit parts of the country, the likes of which have not been seen for many years.
Residents in Sydney awoke last Wednesday to what some termed an “Armageddon” dawn – an eerie red light bathing the city that persisted for much of the day.
The choking dust not only proved challenging for asthma sufferers, but also owners of solar panels.
The incident has sparked a discussion on Energy Matters’ new solar power forum; with a couple of members providing advice. According to MichaelB, whose system is located in what is traditionally a dusty area, he uses a normal household duster to minimize the chance of the particles scratching the glass; although MichaelB points out that on a good quality solar panel the toughened glass is scratch resistant.
That solution may be fine if conditions are dry, but what if rain is thrown into the mix?
According to another forum member, Gordon, after the “mud rain” and consequent drying, the baked-on mess wouldn’t wash off with a high pressure hose, so he used a sponge and soap solution to remove it; again without any damage to the panels.
The image provided by Gordon shows just how severe the dust storm was in his area, Loomberah, which is in Northern NSW. While normal dust levels have little impact on the performance of a solar panel and would usually be washed off by rain before too much has built up, the dust storms last week were extreme conditions. A forum member from Baulkham Hills, mikepotts64, who tracks his system performance with automatic logging devices; reported his system producing as much as 90% less than normal due to unusual conditions.
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