Cleaning Cycle
This is the periodic cleaning programme set according to the soiling rate of solar panels at the site. Rather than a fixed calendar, the essential approach is to monitor the drop in production data and adjust cleaning frequency accordingly; in dusty and arid sites the interval becomes markedly shorter.
To set the interval, two quantities are compared: the production lost due to soiling and the cost of the cleaning operation. If soiling is fast, the cleaning interval gets shorter, because the loss accumulates quickly. If soiling is slow, the same frequency generates unnecessary cost.
In practice, the indicator to follow is how production measured under the same irradiance conditions behaves relative to a reference value. When the drop passes a certain threshold, cleaning is triggered. Season is also decisive: the pollen period, the harvest season, sandstorms and arid months speed up soiling; periods of regular rainfall lengthen the interval.
Automatic cleaning robots make it easier to apply this programme in a disciplined way. The ROBEG ELS-03 works with a remote control and an automatic mode, uses a grid-independent DC battery source and consumes minimum water thanks to its optimised water distributor. Cleaning thus becomes repeatable without depending on the labour schedule, and the panel surface can be kept continuously above the production threshold.
Context in which this term is used: Guide to automatic RV levelling