A distributed photovoltaic power station with a total installed capacity of 3.2MW on the rooftop of a large home appliance manufacturer in Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, faces unique cleaning challenges. Built in 2018, the power station covers a total area of approximately 30,000 square meters of color-coated steel tiles and comprises over 8,200 solar panel modules. Located in an industrial area surrounded by densely populated factories, the air contains not only ordinary dust but also industrial pollutants such as oil and metal dust. In the hot and humid climate, these pollutants easily combine with rainwater to form a sticky stain that clings tightly to the surface of the solar panels.
Manager Li, who oversees power plant operations, told us they had previously tried various cleaning methods. Initially, manual cleaning was employed, but rooftop operations posed significant safety risks. Cleaners had to be tied to safety ropes while working on the sloping, colored steel roof. This resulted in extremely low cleaning efficiency, and cleaning all the modules took nearly two months. Later, they tried installing a fixed cleaning system, but the high water hardness caused the nozzles to frequently clog, resulting in high maintenance costs. Most problematic, the frequent rainfall in the area, while washing away some dust, also caused industrial pollutants to adhere more firmly to the module surfaces, creating difficult-to-remove stains.
In November 2023, the power plant introduced four XYTX5 roller-brush solar panel cleaning machines and established a dedicated cleaning team. Impressively, the very next day after the equipment arrived, they were ready for a crucial cleaning task—a three-day window of continuous sunny weather. The cleaning team completed the cleaning of all panels in just two and a half days, achieving an efficiency increase of over five times compared to previous efforts.
During actual operation, the XYTX5 demonstrated numerous outstanding features. Its unique roller-brush design generates just the right amount of pressure to effectively remove stubborn stains without damaging the panel surface. Particularly noteworthy is the equipment’s water circulation system, which effectively utilizes limited water resources, ensuring effective cleaning while using over 60% less water than traditional manual cleaning methods.
After three months of continuous use and data monitoring, the power plant’s power generation efficiency has significantly improved. In the first month after cleaning, power generation increased by 23.6% month-over-month and 31.2% year-over-year. Even more gratifying is the significant improvement in power generation efficiency stability, with daily fluctuations reduced from 15-20% to 5-8%.
Manager Li did some calculations: previously, annual cleaning costs, including power generation losses, totaled over 800,000 yuan. Using the XYTX5 not only reduced cleaning costs by half, but also increased power generation revenue by nearly one million yuan. The equipment’s payback period is less than eight months, a highly satisfactory return on investment.
Operators have reported that the equipment is easy to operate and that novices can operate independently after just a half-day of training. Its safety performance is also commendable. Equipped with multiple safety devices, the equipment operates stably and reliably on sloping roofs, completely eliminating the safety hazards associated with working at height.
The power plant has now established a scientific cleaning cycle management system, flexibly adjusting cleaning schedules based on seasonal characteristics and contaminant types. The XYTX5 cleaning machine has become an indispensable piece of equipment in power plant operations and maintenance, providing a strong guarantee for its efficient and stable operation.
This successful case demonstrates that the XYTX5 roller brush solar panel cleaning machine is not only suitable for large-scale ground-based power plants, but also performs well in distributed power plants operating in complex environments. As the application scenarios for solar panels continue to expand, XYT will continue to deepen product research and development to provide professional cleaning solutions for a wider range of photovoltaic power plants.