Solar Panel Cleaning in an Interview with DVZ

With the hyCLEANER solarROBOT pro cleaning robot, Josha Kneiber ensures that the solar panels remain clean. He explains why solar panel cleaning is so important and how geopolitical upheavals play into the young entrepreneur’s hands in an interview with DVZ.

DVZ: The BVL initiative Power of Logistics has revealed that approximately 30 million m² of roof areas of all logistics properties built in the last 10 years are suitable for the installation of PV systems. That means a lot of work ahead.

Josha Kneiber: The addition of PV to already sealed areas holds great potential that needs to be leveraged. Therefore, the initiative is exactly right, and guiding directives on this are also rightly being discussed at EU level. We used 2022 to convert our cleaning robot production to series production and are ready for what is to come.

Why is it so important to clean solar panels?

Various weather conditions lead to dirt accumulating on the panels. This leads to reduced module efficiency, resulting in a noticeable decrease in yield. However, financial loss is not the only concern. Contamination can attack the coatings and seals, allowing water ingress to damage the system and making it prone to malfunctions and repairs.

Is there a recommended cleaning frequency?

This question cannot be answered with a blanket statement. The cleaning frequency depends on various factors such as the type and degree of contamination, determined by region and location. In Germany, this can mean that systems near agricultural operations are cleaned three to four times a year. Other systems, however, are cleaned only once a year.

Further questions & answers on solar panel cleaning are explored by DVZ in a further conversation with Mr. Kneiber, Managing Director of hyCLEANER GmbH & Co. KG, in the following article.