In the realm of renewable energy, solar panels stand as a beacon of sustainable power. However, their efficiency is significantly affected by dust, debris, and environmental factors, which will require regular maintenance. Recognizing the labor-intensive and costly nature of manual cleaning, our project introduces an innovative solution: an automatic solar panel cleaning machine.

Supplies

Water pump (12V DC water pump 4.5 L/ min 1.2 GPM 80 psi) x1
Clean vinyl tubing ¾” 20”
14” PVC pipe with 1” diameter
PVC pipe end cap x1
¾” to 1” female swivel insert x1
12V battery x1
Hose clamps x3
1” PVC MPT x Slip Adaptor x1
5 gallon water tank

Step 1: Pump Wiring

The wiring for the pump is very simple because it works on 12V. When the pump is connected to a 12V battery it will immediately start the flow. The pump can be controlled with a push button or a switch if it was connected to a breadboard.

In Figure 2 we can see the connection where the pump is directly connected to the battery.

In Figure 3 we can see how the battery can be connected to a breadboard and from that we can add a pushbutton to operate the pump. When the push button is pressed the pump will turn on and will stay on until the user stops pressing the button.

Step 2: Pump Connection

For the pump connection, you are going to use the 20” vinyl tubing and cut it in half so that you have 2 of 10” of the tube. Next, connect the tube to each end of the water pump and use a hose clamp on each end to make sure the tube is tight.

Something that is important about the pump is knowing which is the inlet and the outlet, if you look closely there is an arrow that shows the direction that the water will flow.

In Figure 5, you need to know that the arrow in the red circle is the direction that the water will flow at. This will help you know which is the inlet and the outlet which is needed for the connection to the PVC pipe and the water tank.

Step 3: PVC Pipe Assembly

This step begins by inserting the PVC end-cap onto one end of the PVC pipe, followed by placing the PVC adapter onto the other end of the PVC pipe. This can be done by gently pushing each piece onto the PVC pipe so that everything is connected as one. This can also be shown in Figure 6.

Step 4: Slip Adapter to Swivel Insert Assembly

This step is to place the female swivel insert onto the slip adaptor. The female end threads onto the male end until fastened together tightly. This can be seen in Figure 7.

Step 5: Hose to Swivel Insert Connection

This step is to connect the vinyl tubing to the female swivel insert and fastening the two together using a hose clamp. The hose can be slid over the insert until it reaches the base, where the hose clamp can be tightened around to ensure a strong connection. This can be seen in Figure 8.

Step 6: PVC Pipe to Solar Panel Connection

This step is to mount the PVC pipe to the solar panel. This can be done with the use of double sided strong adhesive tape. Applying tape to the solar panel first, then pressing on the PVC pipe is the best way of completing this step. This can be seen in Figure 9.

Step 7: Finalizing the System

The final step is to connect the tubing from the PVC pipe to the water pump and fastening it with the use of a hose clamp. Another piece of vinyl tubing is needed to connect the pump and water tank which is also done with the use of hose clamps. Lastly, the positive and negative wires from the pump are to be connected to the positive and negative terminals on the battery which will power the pump. Once all the previous steps have been completed, the system is ready to be run by turning on the pump and allowing for water to enter the dispensing unit to disperse water onto the solar panel. Figure 10 shows the entire working system.