Solar Panel

[ianrm]

Has anyone coated their Solar Panel for protection and what have they used?

Wax? Ceramic Coating?

 

[Mikeco]

Why?, protection from what.

 

[MisterB]

We have a cover made of waterproof material, it stops us having to clean our solar panel, though we are thinking of getting another panel because our current one doesn't work ....

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

We have a cover made of waterproof material, it stops us having to clean our solar panel, though we are thinking of getting another panel because our current one doesn't work ....

Take the cover off ,it may work then.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I've waxed ours in the past with that waterless wash n wax stuff. I also wax the roof lights while I'm at it

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[The Wino]

Has anyone coated their Solar Panel for protection and what have they used?

Wax? Ceramic Coating?

Isn't one of the functions of those coatings to reduce UV dammage? I'm not sure of the spectral absorption of solar panels but it could be that coating it reduces the output. If they need protection won't it be in the glass surface?

 

[BusyBuilder]

We have then on our house, as on the moho never bothered to clean them, I've looked at them when up there and can't see any reason to put any coating on them.

 

[MisterB]

Take the cover off ,it may work then.

yes but then it gets dirty, so sort of defeats the purpose of the cover ......

plus if we get a replacement panel the same size, we already have a ready made cover for the new one, so it works out cheaper than getting a bigger panel and then having to make another cover ....

 

[Lenny HB]

Has anyone coated their Solar Panel for protection and what have they used?

Wax? Ceramic Coating?

Best not to use anything unless you want to restrict the output for some reason. I certainly don't I need every bit of solar power I can get.

 

[ianrm]

Why?, protection from what.

English Rain

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[royandsharont]

I am aware Supremecoat, who ceramic coated my van, have a product that I think is used on big installations of solar panels, presumably to keep them cleaner longer to get max output from them.

 

[Mikeco]

English Rain

You need the rain to keep it clean, no rain here in Spain so put the hosepipe on it yesterday.

 

[Lenny HB]

I am aware Supremecoat, who ceramic coated my van, have a product that I think is used on big installations of solar panels, presumably to keep them cleaner longer to get max output from them.

Doubt it would work when they are mounted horizontally on a Motorhome roof.

 

[royandsharont]

Doubt it would work when they are mounted horizontally on a Motorhome roof.

That’s logical thinking

 

[Raul]

Panels come from factory with a ARC anti reflection coating, and nothing else should go on that glass. The glass on the panels it’s not smooth plain. It’s rough to prevent photons bouncing of the surface when not tangent to the sun. The micro ridges on the surface help to direct the light to the solar cell. If you add a coating, it will fill those spaces and aid reflection, bad for production. Besides all solar panels glass are free of iron and degradation of that glass from UV it will take decades.
Just wash it more often if necessary.

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[VXman]

You don't put protective stuff on your house windows do you? Just clean them regularly. They have a glass covering. I don't see people climbing on roofs of houses, offices, or in the acres of panels in solarfarms. I assume the y are built to do the job they are designed to do. I wash them with water/soap when I am cleaning the van. That's it. Maybe the odd additional wipe down when it gets dusty in the summmer.

 

[autorouter]

Has anyone coated their Solar Panel for protection and what have they used?

Wax? Ceramic Coating?

Any additional layer of anything, even if perfectly transparent, adds an extra surface where light can be reflected instead of 100% transmitted. Typically you might lose up to 10% just by adding another transparent layer. So I'd say generally it's not a good idea, unless it stops dirt accumulating that would reduce the output even more.

By the way, the UV bit in sunlight is very small, and solar panels work almost completely on visible light, not UV. So blocking UV, as most glass does, has little effect on solar output.

 

[GMLS]

Doubt it would work when they are mounted horizontally on a Motorhome roof.

Bang on

 

[dash300]

So it would appear the consensus is there is no recomendation to address a problem that doesn't exist. I'm happy to let the rain do it's best and failing that a hose.