Handheld tool to clean rooftop solar panels

Mumbai-based Cleo Tech has developed a battery-powered, handheld tool for scratch-free, dry cleaning of solar panels. The tool’s cleaning brush clings end-to-end on the aluminum frames of the panels, avoiding direct contact of the moving parts with the cells, other than the soft nylon bristles.

May 10, 2022 Uma Gupta

Image: Cleo Tech

Mumbai-based Cleo Tech has developed a new handheld solution for scratch-free, dry cleaning of rooftop solar installations.

With conventional dry-cleaning tools, direct contact between the moving parts and the panel surface can cause microcracks in the cells. The Cleo-Tech solution addresses this problem by ensuring that only the soft nylon bristles of the brush come in contact with the cells during the cleaning process. Its cleaning brush measures 1 meter and clings end-to-end on the panel’s aluminium frame to do the cleaning, thus avoiding direct contact of the moving parts with the cells.

“The cleaning tool weighs 5 kg. It uses a heavy-duty brushless DC motor that can last up to four years without maintenance. The roller brush is made of very thin and soft nylon bristles that perform dry cleaning without damaging the anti-reflective coating of the PV panel. The operator can easily replace the brush on-site,” Rohan Kaundal, founder and partner at Cleo Tech, told pv magazine.

Kaundal said a single person can clean anywhere from 60 to 100 panels per hour, depending on their familiarity with the tool. It is powered by a 24V, 10,000 mAh lithium-ion battery. It weighs 2 kg and can easily be carried like a backpack by the operator.

Cleo Tech can customize the tool according to specific site installation and design parameters.

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