In order to ensure the proper functioning of solar panels in winter, they need to be cleared of snow in a timely and delicate manner.

This is stated on the Eco Tech Ukraine website. The publication describes the main recommendations that should be followed for caring for photovoltaic modules during winter.

With the arrival of winter, owners of solar stations have the need to frequently clean solar panels from snow and ice. Based on the advice of experienced station owners, the following rules should be followed to properly care for the modules:

• You can use a homemade brush with a soft pile and a long handle to clean the snow. Clean the modules should be gentle so as not to scratch the protective glass.

• Frosted areas may not be removed: without snow, they will quickly melt on their own.

• To clean snow, you can sometimes wait for it to melt. This is suitable for those who have panels on the roof at an angle of 35 degrees or more.

• Snow can be washed off, but this method is not applicable when temperatures go into the deep freeze.

• Snow can be melted with plastic hoses or lightweight plastic pipes, which are fed by hot air that does not allow snow to accumulate on the roof.

At the same time, experts strongly advise against covering panels with reagents, which are sprinkled on the roads, or using a special wax for the car, which does not let it get icy. This may do more harm than good, and repair of damaged elements may cost a pretty penny, the publication notes.

According to the authors, winter weather is often cloudy and the sun goes down early, so “every kilowatt counts”. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that snow or ice crusts block the sun’s rays from reaching the panels, the experts remind.

“Part of the problem with snow cover is that the system handles itself. Solar panels are often mounted on facades and roofs at an angle, which causes melting snow to slide down under the force of gravity. In addition, working panels are heated, which also contributes to the self-cleaning process. This is not the case in heavy snowfall. When the snow covers the modules with a thick and dense layer, you can not do without cleaning the surface”, – reports the publication.

Earlier OBOZREVATEL told how in Israel, scientists from Ben-Gurion University created a protective layer for solar panels, which is able to clean itself of dust.