Ag dust is a different soiling problem
Field operations put soil into the air, and a ground-mount array at the edge of that field catches it. Discing, harvest and any equipment on a dry access road throw dust that settles heavy and uneven, and the lower edge of a tilted row collects the worst of it. Add spring pollen and the film builds through exactly the months the array should be producing hardest.
The pattern matters as much as the quantity. Heavy banding along the bottom edge of a row shades whole cell rows in a way a light, even film does not. Appearance alone cannot quantify a loss. The PVWatts loss definitions explain why soiling is one input among several, not a forecast for an individual farm.
What CA Solar Wash needs to quote a ground mount
Ground mounts are quoted differently from rooftop work. Send these and you get a real number.
- Number of rows and approximate row length, or total module count if you have it.
- Mount height and whether the rows are fixed-tilt or tracking.
- Vehicle access along the rows, and ground conditions after irrigation.
- Whether there is a usable water connection on site, and its flow.
- Vegetation around and under the array, and who maintains it.
- Your operational calendar: discing, harvest and any period the site is inaccessible.
Timing it around your operation
If dust-generating field work is imminent, discuss whether cleaning should follow it. The sequence that works: clean after the dust-generating operations and before the production months you care about. The operating calendar and actual buildup decide whether another visit is worthwhile.
Send CA Solar Wash your calendar and the team fits the schedule to it. If the site is inaccessible for a stretch, or equipment traffic makes the access road impassable, say so up front. A recurring arrangement built around your operation gets cleaned at the right time. One built around a generic six-month interval gets cleaned at the wrong one. Contact the service team to arrange a change to the schedule.
Rooftop home array versus ground mount
Same water, same brushes, same photographs. What changes is access, soiling pattern and how the job is priced.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Factor | Rooftop home array | Ground mount |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Roof type and stories decide the method. | Row spacing and vehicle access decide it. |
| Soiling | Dust, pollen, hard water and droppings. | Field dust banded along the lower edge of each row. |
| Quoting | Panel count, roof material, stories. | Row count, row length, mount height, water supply. |
| Underneath | Pigeons nest under the modules; mesh closes the perimeter. | Nests, debris and vegetation build under the rows; inspected and photographed each visit. |
| Timing | Before the summer peak, again if near fields. | Around discing, harvest and the summer peak. |
Farm access and work boundaries
Identify irrigation periods, soft ground, active machinery routes and areas the service vehicle must avoid. If field treatments or restricted-entry periods affect access, give the contractor the site requirements before setting a visit.
Name the site contact authorized to operate trackers and respond to electrical concerns. Cleaning does not include trenching, vegetation control, cable repair or changing inverter settings. Request a report organized by row or array so the maintenance file shows what was reached.
