PurePoint Energy takes a trip to Samuel Staples Elementary School!

On April 12-14th, PurePoint Energy paid a visit to six classes of eager second graders excited to learn about possibilities in renewable energy. The students were quick to differentiate between the miniature wind turbine and the large solar panel presented at the front of their classroom, just as they were confident that such a large solar panel would surely produce more energy than a small wind turbine-especially with the calm weather outside.

After coming up with some locations that we thought would be sunny and not-so-sunny, we set out on a mission. It was critical that we first learn the use of a multimeter, which would tell us how much power we were producing. There were many helpers involved in this process as we first measured the Volts, and then Amps being produced. A few mathematician/scientists in the crowd were quick to point out that all we had to do was multiply the volts by the amps to get WATTS! As we repeated this procedure in a few different spots, a small but noticeable difference was apparent when we took the panel out onto the completely unshaded soccer fields-the lack of shading provided solid access for the sun's rays to power our solar panel! As we always made sure to point the solar panel directly at the sun...it was clear that more sun=more power!

At the end of the day, the PurePoint staff had a great time taking a break from work to talk with young econeers about the importance of renewable energy in today's world. Hopefully they will each remember and take this lesson in renewable energy to heart after seeing firsthand the shocking (for a second grader) and powerful renewable resources that Earth has to offer. 

Solar Panels & Maintenance

The simple consensus on cleaning solar panels is: do it if they're dirty. The placement and orientation of your panels will likely affect whether they often require cleaning. Panels that are mounted on an angle (i.e. on a roof or ground mount with a tilt), for example, require little maintenance because the rain will naturally keep them clean. 

Things become a little more difficult when dealing with the maintenance of horizontally-oriented panels. Flat panels will naturally benefit less from rain, and are more likely to acquire a cover that can significantly affect its production. These panels should be visually checked once every few months, and more often if they situated in locations where sand and dirt is often blown around.

This study by Google found that minor accumulation of dirt on the corners of panels will not significantly detract from production. However-don't let it go too far! Solar panels rely on direct sunlight and any interference has the potential to disrupt peak production.

So how do you clean solar panels?

Always be careful! Even though the panel's live electrical components are not on the surface, you don't want to risk damaging any of the glass or plastic shielding. If anything appears cracked or broken-it might be a good idea to first consult with a professional! Otherwise-it's just like cleaning a window. Water, sponge, non-abrasive drying cloth, and if you really need it, streak-free soap/glass cleaner.

For larger projects, automatic cleaning systems may be a useful option.

PurePoint Energy offers full cleaning and maintenance services to preserve the peak production of your solar panels.