This afternoon we cleaned approximately 600 solar panels on a strip mall in Voorhees Township, New Jersey. The weather is a little crazy this time of year in the NorthEast and it was a cloudy 44 degrees with rain off and on all afternoon. We typically use DI water and water-fed poles only to clean solar panels, but roughly 100 panels were surrounded by exhaust vents, from a restaurant below. These panels were caked in grease and needed an extra special touch. We used a Terra Wash, applied with our Gilmour Bleach Wash applicator, and let it sit for about five minutes. The we rinsed with DI water and then gave then a final scrub with DI and a water-fed pole. The grease melted right off and they looked new again. Attached are some pics. It worked so well, we went ahead and sprayed the other 500 panels also, before scrubbing. The owner of the strip mall was present and was so impressed, we signed a maintenance agreement for three cleanings a year. He also requested a proposal for the entire strip mall exterior and sidewalks, plus a quote for his house & roof. HI house and roof are around 5500/SF. Just another example of the versatility the SWS product line!!
It depends on the panels and their exposure. mostly we use just DI and scrub and rinse, but some of the panels in the post above we used Terra Wash and had to scrub and rinse multiple times. They were the panels located directly around kitchen exhaust vents on the strip mall. We also have done panels on a tea blending factory that was a royal pain in the a@*. Every panel was coated in tea leave dust and we used a one step truck wash soap and DI rinse and scrub.
Mostly just DI and scrub, but you need to physically test the panels and residue/build up on them before putting in a price.
When you said the panels were covered in residue from the kitchen exhaust hoods, I really wasn't sure what that next sentence was going to say because that is some nasty grime to clean. Another great job John!
Terra Wash is great...and it seems the longer TW is in use out in the field, the more this product shines. I recall Ray had some great success on a nasty bank job last summer/fall.