Do solar panels need cleaning?

[Barney]

It could eliminate your electric bill and more if you were smart. It's as much about reducing consumption as producing usable power.As super capacitors become more efficient, people will be storing their electrical charge at home and using it when needed.

I lived off grid with panels and a wind turbine. Ran a fridge and stuff quite happily.

I know technology is improving all the time. I just seen a report today that there are battery arrays that can store created power, and even convert it to hydrogen for use in cars etc. I'm sure in the future it may be all positive.

But at the moment it's not that efffecient considering peoples demands of power consumption.

It's just that here in east anglia I see so many acres of valuable arable farmland going to solar panels, it's a shame, I'm sure there must be a better alternative?

 

[Solar Steve]

You should be safe with an slx as the base section is insulated.

An insulated section of pole will probably not protect you from electric shock...

 

[Solar Steve]

To be honest, I don't think I could clean a solar farm day in day out. How boring is that. I like some variety in my work. I will clean residential customers solar panels, but not a solar farm. I'm sure the money can't be that great.
Anyway just wait till they stop the tax relief on solar panels. No one will want them then, too inefficient, just like wind turbines.

Barney, I'm afraid people will still want solar way, way beyond when the FiT is phased out. They are not inefficient at all either. I'm not quite sure what you're basing your opinion on...

 

[Solar Steve]

I can take a minimum of £40 per hour on windows with my rounds as they are now, so unless Steve could at least match or enev better, better that then I do not personally see the point.
BTW Barney, I have custies that swear by their solar, reckon it's eliminated their electric bills.

Yes, on many jobs, even as a subcontractor, we match or better your hourly rate...

 

[Solar Steve]

I know technology is improving all the time. I just seen a report today that there are battery arrays that can store created power, and even convert it to hydrogen for use in cars etc. I'm sure in the future it may be all positive.But at the moment it's not that efffecient considering peoples demands f power consumption.

It's just that here in east anglia I see so many acres of valuable arable farmland going to solar panels, it's a shame, I'm sure there must be a better alternative?

The acres of land that you see going to solar panels will not be valuable arable land. Solar farms do not get planning permission for grade A farming land. A lot of testing goes on on the soil and if it is found to be high quality, panels are not allowed to be put there. There are very strict planning guidelines regarding land where solar farms can be built. The arable land that you see solar on is likely either for grazing sheep, in which case the farmer is only doubling up on his revenue stream from owning the same piece of land (a clever move) or it is classed as 'Brownfield' land, meaning that the soil quality is poor and never likely to produce a meaningful crop. Therefore, a better use of that land is solar.

Solar will figure in everyone's future eventually. Resistance is futile....

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

Yes, on many jobs, even as a subcontractor, we match or better your hourly rate...

Ok Steve, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention (Djanjo reference) couple of questions.

1) You reckon you will match or better my hourly rate as a sub for you? (that's pretty bold)

2) Exclusivity for my 'area'? I operate in all Nottinghamshire (NG) postcodes.

3) I get both the above for attending your 'course' and wearing your t-shirt?

4) So lets hear some hard fact. What is the minimum amount of hours you can guarantee each month for me a sub of yours?

Do bear in mind that there is no number of hours you can throw this way that is 'too many'

No 'well it depends on this' no 'well it depends on that' How about you just give me a real, realistic expectation of what my money is buying?

 

[Smurf]

It's buying in to be on the beck & call of the boss that what it's about.

@Solar Steve is not going to publish what he pays his subs on here surely

 

[Green Pro Clean Ltd]

It's buying in to be on the beck & call of the boss that what it's about.@Solar Steve is not going to publish what he pays his subs on here surely

He already has Smurf, Look 4 posts up, he claims he will match my £40 per hour or better it! Hmmmm......

I will await his defense with baited breath!

 

[Smurf]

im betting the only way you will get him to tell you is pay to go on his course /emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Duncs]

who has time to clean splar panels every day, great if your looking for graft, especially if you could get certificate

to say you can clean them

but myself just hav,int got the time to take that on every day,gd money to be made

 

[stuvy]

He failed at my last retort so why should he continue with these?

 

[Solar Steve]

Ok Steve, you had my curiosity, now you have my attention (Djanjo reference) couple of questions.
1) You reckon you will match or better my hourly rate as a sub for you? (that's pretty bold)

2) Exclusivity for my 'area'? I operate in all Nottinghamshire (NG) postcodes.

3) I get both the above for attending your 'course' and wearing your t-shirt?

4) So lets hear some hard fact. What is the minimum amount of hours you can guarantee each month for me a sub of yours?

Do bear in mind that there is no number of hours you can throw this way that is 'too many'

No 'well it depends on this' no 'well it depends on that' How about you just give me a real, realistic expectation of what my money is buying?

1. There is no reason why you should not match or better your hourly rate, no. If you go like a snail or work incompetently, then obviously you will not hit the £40 p/hr mark. But when you are up to speed, yes, you can hit that.

2. I have checked, we do not have anyone covering any NG postcodes who has paid to come on the course. They are all still available and would be yours.

3. We might plump for a hi-viz vest and not a t-shirt, but yes.

4. Unknown. I have no idea where jobs will come in at anytime, no more than you do with your next window cleaning customer. But I know the jobs are coming. We are currently in talks with a company about cleaning a few thousand panels across a dozen or so roofs, all in the NG postcodes. We are close to tying up 53,000 panels on one site near Northampton too, so if you're willing, we can look to involve you in that too if you wish.

I cannot guarantee anything workwise. But here is a link to our pin map detailing every job we had done until January 31st: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?authuser=0&hl=en&mid=zNA38VRscc8E.kUYhXqfsx_sY

It needs updating with our latest jobs. There is a bit of history regarding this map and the face of it will change as the solar industry matures. Bear in mind that the bulk of solar arrays were originally put in in the South of the UK. The grid has little or no connections left in the south, so the solar installers are moving their attention north. The map 12 months from now will have many more pins in the North because the jobs will come flowing in further up the country when their panels get dirty.

While I cannot guarantee work, I am supremely confident that we will get work in NG postcodes in the coming months. Come on the course and it will all be yours.

Just an example. We had a subcontractor do a rooftop array today in Tiverton, Devon. 2 guys earned £175.00 + VAT in about 2 & 1/2 hours. That was an initial clean where the panels had not been cleaned in nearly 3 years. They were averaging £35.00 p/hr. We will now be doing that job at least annually. There will not be 3 years worth of grime on the panels, so they will naturally get around the job quicker. Add to that that they had never been on the roof before so needed to work everything out for the first time. Next time around they will hone their setup times too. I fully expect they will hit £40.00+ p/hr.

I received his invoice at 19:40 this evening and it has been entered into our payment system and he will be paid within 30 days by BACS. He doesn't doubt he will be paid on time because I guess he's done over a dozen jobs for us now.

Not bad money or a bad payment system for subcontracting for a lazy trickster who expects you to be at his beck and call I'm sure you'd agree???

Why on earth do you people continue to give me grief? Answers on a postcard please...

 

[windowsurfer]

Solar Steve, do you not do online training, or a skype link? Im in Scotland covering mostly Perthshire areas and Fife. I take it there is some clause in the training that you have to be linked into all jobs. Have you had much interest in bonny Scotland?

 

[cheapncheerful]

YEH ER....not so sunny in scotland...rain panels sell well../emoticons/biggrin.png

actually ... i give in..you have had better summers than us the last few...except silloth...sorry billie and shelia but it does rain rather a lot.../emoticons/biggrin.png

 

[Solar Steve]

Solar Steve, do you not do online training, or a skype link? Im in Scotland covering mostly Perthshire areas and Fife. I take it there is some clause in the training that you have to be linked into all jobs. Have you had much interest in bonny Scotland?

We don't do online or Skype training I'm afraid. We are in talks for a contract for 995 residential properties for a local housing authority in Scotland. I can't say which one.

We don't need to be linked to all jobs. You are free to get your own. They have nothing to do with us.

Scotland will be a slow burn. But solar will be huge up there in years to come. You have huge swathes of land that is ideal.

 

[Smurf]

So just to clarify @Solar Steve are subs paid on per panel cleaned (gross cost) then regardless how bad they are and where they are located in fields, on water or on buildings?

Also do you allow for any added cost like access equipment hire if/when required, Also do you know they are trained in roof access work and do they use roof safe systems etc?

My comment about being on the beck and call of the boss I think was a valid one as obviously if subs work for you they have to do the job when you want it done. So how much notice do you give subs as they don't just sit around waiting for you to tell them when the next job is surely?

Sorry if it sounds I'm giving you a hard time but many questions need to be answered before anyone should consider working as a sub for you. Let alone paying out hard earned cash just to be given an area to work in which they may or may not be given any work to do.

 

[SolarPanelCleaning]

It does sound like you're giving him a hard time.

 

[Smurf]

Well quite frankly more fool you or others for that matter for not getting the full facts in order before making a decision to pay out 250 odd squid for so say training and the promise of work if when it arises

 

[Solar Steve]

I'm pretty much done answering questions for people who I know will not attend the course, no matter what my answers are. We've had a great response to this course and have enough demand already to warrant organising another one. There are some people who can see past the end of their nose and see this as a good investment.

You say 'many questions need to be answered before anyone should consider working as a sub for you.' The statement is just plain wrong. We pay for services rendered like anyone else. Do you grill every client you do work for like this? I doubt it.

You may counter this by saying that clients do not demand £250.00 from you upfront. Well in a way, some jobs do. They require investment in kit before you can do the job. Do you seek every single guarantee possible from your client before you invest? No. This is the same. It';s an investment. There needs to be an element of trust there. Do you have any £250.00 window cleaning jobs? Probably. Do you get payment upfront for them? I doubt it. You have to trust that after you have done the job and submitted your invoice, they will pay you the money. The more prominent the company, the more confident you are that you will get paid.

We are not a blue chip company, but we are THE respected solar panel cleaning company in the UK. Do you think it benefits my reputation or my business by ripping of 20 or so people for the sake of £4,000? No chance. If this course is rubbish, the whole world will know. Delegates will will be on this and other forums slating me til the cows come home. Is that a chance I'm likely to be willing to take for the sake of £4,000?

The course will be quality and worth every penny of £238.00.

I've answered shed loads of your questions @Smurf. Answer me one: If I gave satisfactory answers to all of your questions, would you then pay, come on the course, partner with us and build solar panel cleaning as a bigger part of your business?

 

[Smurf]

I take it your subs will also need to invest in the right type of vehicles and kit for the job in hand especially working in middle of a field and with no water supply. If they don't how can they try to clean thousands of panels on a price per panel (peace work) rate for you.

So let’s just say your subs need to get the following:

4x4 vehicles - reason being they are less likely to get stuck in the field.

towable water bowsers - to cart enough water about to and fro from the site so the subs can carry on working.

on demand ro/di systems - when water is available onsite. Thus reducing the need to refill the water bowsers off site and reduce travel costs.

PPE safety gear

etc etc

Not to mention other kinds of work where they would need proper training and qualifications to work on roofs and use other types of access equipment.

Now realistically would I want to invest in all that just to be able to work for someone else and then still has to pay to go on a so say course to be trained...

 

[Solar Steve]

You can invest as lightly or heavily as you want in this.

So is that a yes or no to the question in my last post?