Aliança Energia acquired two John Deere 5080E tractors equipped with SunBrush Mobil TrackFlex automated brushes, which arrived at UFV Sol do Cerrado on May 26. The new equipment will expand the cleaning capacity of the photovoltaic modules.
SunBrush has embedded technology to control the pressure of the rotating brushes on the solar modules, so cleaning occurs effectively and minimizes the risk of microcracks in the glass film of the solar modules, ensuring the useful life of the module.
The cleaning of photovoltaic modules is an essential activity to preserve the performance of the plant. The process consists of removing impurities accumulated on the surface of the solar modules, such as dust and organic waste, and can be carried out manually or mechanized, with the use of water.
When performed improperly or infrequently, this activity can compromise energy generation. In situations of excessive accumulation of dirt, heating points may appear in the modules (hotspots), capable of causing permanent damage to the equipment.
Each of the new machines has the capacity to clean, on average, 6,300 modules per day, being used mainly during the dry season, between the months of June and November, when the accumulation of dust on the panels is more intense. Manual cleaning continues in a complementary way in our operations, being destined for areas where mechanized equipment cannot operate. In these cases, we achieve an average productivity of approximately 3,150 modules per day per team.
According to Ismael Faria, Aliança Energia’s O&M technician responsible for cleaning the photovoltaic modules:
“The arrival of this equipment represents an advance for the plant’s operation, especially during the dry season, when there is greater accumulation of dust on the modules and, consequently, more significant generation losses. Considering the large size of the complex, which has 1,431,900 modules, making the mechanized operation essential for maintaining the performance and energy efficiency of the enterprise.”
With the acquisition of the new equipment, UFV Sol do Cerrado expands its capacity to operate in the field and makes maintenance activities more agile and efficient. In addition to supporting the conservation of photovoltaic modules, the tractors provide greater flexibility to meet different operational demands, contributing to the continuity, quality, and reliability of operations throughout the year.
