Manual vs Automatic Robot: Which One is a Better Cleaning Solution for Solar Panels?
Cleaning the solar panels for better efficiency and maintenance is important. While solar panels are designed to withstand the outdoor exposure and can even work without any issue in case of dust accumulation, there are other environmental elements that might hinder their performance.
For elite operations and maintenance, a robust cleaning system must be implemented for solar panels. While the conventional manual cleaning is a noteworthy solution, the new and advanced mini solar robot solution is regarded as revolutionary.
If you are in a dilemma to choose between manual and automatic robot cleaning solution then we are here to help you out in making a smart choice. Continue to read till the end to learn which cleaning solution is a better option.
Quality Cleaning
While even with dust accumulation, your solar panels must be working effectively. However, dust isn’t the only foreign particle that your panels are exposed to, other environmental elements like bird droppings, rain, etc. can block the tempered glass which may result in reduced power output.
Without proper cleaning, these stubborn particles cannot be removed. Manual cleaning can happen to be beneficial in removing such elements as the cleaning companies deploy trained and skilled manpower for the job of cleaning with the use of proper cleaning tools.
For automatic cleaning as well, the soft-bristle brushes installed in solar robots and different cleaning programs result in quality cleaning. However, in case of manual cleaning you need to make sure you choose an experienced cleaning company.
Resources
In manual cleaning, you require both manpower and water resources to accomplish the task of cleaning. While finding a qualified group of manpower is not a big problem, utilizing a precious limited resource like water is not a sustainable choice.
Approximately 2 liters of water is required for the cleaning of a single solar panel per cycle. Now for a solar power plant, can you imagine the level of water wastage? Therefore, the manual cleaning option doesn’t seem like a viable choice in terms of resources.
On the other hand, automatic cleaning solutions utilize mini solar robots or autonomous robotic systems to carry out the cleaning process. Neither manpower nor water resources are needed for accomplishing cleaning in this particular solution.
Dry cleaning method with the use of soft bristle brushes installed in robots doesn’t contribute to water wastage that makes it an environmentally conscious solution for cleaning solar panels.
Flexibility
When it comes to flexibility, automatic robotic cleaning solution offers the most as users can switch between manual to automation mode easily. The robots are designed in such a way that users can get full control over the functions and program it as per their preference.
However, manual cleaning solutions are based on the performance of the manpower hired for the job of cleaning solar panels. Users don’t have control over the cleaning performance. In this case, they just have to be sure that they are hiring the best solar panel cleaning company.
The scope of flexibility is only available for automated cleaning and not for manual cleaning solutions.
Price
The overall expenditure for carrying out solar panel cleaning is an important consideration. For manual cleaning solutions, the price may vary from one cleaning company to another.
You can find even a cheap cleaning company offering excellent solutions. However, it must be noted that solar panel cleaning is not a one-time thing and in fact, needs to be carried out at regular intervals.
Hiring a manual cleaning company at regular intervals is not a viable plan as the price may go up if you look at the calculations for the long term. On the other hand, the initial price may seem expensive for automatic robot cleaning but the cost for a long-term plan is way less than manual cleaning.
Once an impactful robotic cleaning system is installed, it can work for several years to come without any fault. If any problem occurs then a reputed company shall send over a support team to get the issue fixed.
Even though both manual and automatic cleaning solutions are able to offer amazing solar panel cleaning solutions, it can rightly be said that automatic cleaning is one step ahead of manual cleaning. No wonder it is considered as a revolutionary cleaning solution of the future.