Spring is in the air – and with it, pollen. How much of an impact can pollen have on the electricity output of solar panels? A buildup of gunk and grime in the form of solar panel pollen can certainly decrease its efficiency.
Professor Simon Haberle from the Australian National University (ANU) operates the airborne pollen monitoring website Canberra Pollen. Professor Haberle says the peak season for pollen in the nation’s capital is under way with the start of spring and pollen is so thick in some spots in the ACT that a “green haze” has been sighted.
A recent study by researchers from the Institute of Engineering at Tribhuvan University in Nepal found the efficiency of a solar module left to natural dust deposition decreased by 29.76% compared to a module cleaned on daily basis.
Solar panel pollen metrics in Kathmandu a possible outlier
However, that experiment took place in the city of Kathmandu. That is an extreme scenario due to its very dry winters and high air pollution. Kathmandu was ranked the third most polluted city in the world in Pollution Index 2016.
The good news is while pollen can certainly bring misery to many people with allergies, it’s probably not a huge deal for most owners of solar panels in Australia and households shouldn’t be losing sleep over it.
Solar panels are usually self cleaning
Most solar panel installations will be self-cleaning. Good quality module glass combined with the angle of most rooftops assists with the cleaning process, along with rain. Let’s use the example of Canberra during the month of September. The nation’s capital has 9 days with rain on average and an average of 50mm of rainfall for the month. Any solar panel pollen buildup that may occur should wash away rather quickly.
Even in the dusty outback of South Australia, rooftop solar panels installed at a reasonable angle stay relatively clean during the dry season.
Where pollution, dust and pollen may cause issues in some areas are scenarios where the panels tilt only a few degrees, or are ground level installations. Another soiling risk is bird poop – particularly where pigeons are prevalent.
For owners of solar power systems that do require cleaning, it’s incredibly important to put safety first. Pick up some tips on cleaning solar panels.
