Author: wimbledon1706

The ‘app’titude of some is remarkable. With smart phones more common than a Ranga’ in the family (Ron Weasley’s family included) and multitudinous apps that vie for everyone’s attention. It is disheartening to see the transmigration into the work field and the temptation by some shady individuals to accidentally mislead the customer on the thermal imaging of their solar panels. Going on the app store, you can see apps that show thermal images but are not genuine thermal imaging just photo manipulation and camera trickery.

Why to use thermal imaging?

The reason for thermal imaging you may ask is to see what the eye cannot and demonstrate the heat signature of an object. When correctly employed with bona fide equipment you have a reliable quantitative measurement to demonstrate loss of efficiency and therefore need for a clean.

We have seen this alternative shady’ approach on the commercial side but we recently have unsubstantiated accounts of it occurring in the residential markets as well. Yes you can pay for a helicopter to fly over and do a thermal image report for your solar panel/s but the gold standard is hands on at the panels themselves.

Can we do it?

At leaf it 2 us we again take this the next step evolutionary wise with a hands-off approach. Scanning your panels up close we avoid issues the helicopter pilots have to apply and lower considerably the Measurement of Uncertainty (MU) that the airborne approach has and save you $100’s in the process too. By being hands off we avoid any warranty voiding of your systems from placing metal probes on your panels.

Before and after photos are great but before and after thermal imaging after cleaning with liquids that by their very nature will cool and change the thermal image is not sensible. There are the percentages of transmission, which is the numerical number you can look for to show degree of change to your solar panels thereby showing you the efficiency. Again, assuming the user hasn’t popped out a sun reflector disc and augmented the shot. People searching for quality over quantity, yet in measurement terms and defensibility qualitative over quantitative reverse what you really want; cold hard numbers rather than visual acuity which is subjective and often from a distance so far less accurate or reliable. Quantitative changes that are measured gives you more facts and the before and after photos whilst eye opening are more quantitative as they provide subjective variation in the efficiency drop off of any panel or cell and are less important too.

What is the electricity conversion for your solar panels?

We mentioned in previous blogs about effective drop offs for solar panels. Not mentioning the warranty dropping off here by unprofessional cleaning. Like a painter’s palate there are often more than one factor affecting your solar panels masterpiece of electricity conversion;

In reality these combinations are rarely found in isolation. So pick 3 or 4 and see how palatable those figures are to digest on your energy efficiency topic for your solar panels. Remember these are losses to your electrical generation.These losses are based on a regularly cleaned solar panel and degradation over several months’ exposure to the elements and environment. So, when you regularly clean your solar panels your energy production and cost savings are much clearer too.

At leaf it 2 us we apply our commercial depth and strength into the residential system for your peace of mind. Having real actual thermal cameras you can see the real thermal signature of your solar panels and the real need or otherwise to attend to them.

What are infrared rays ?

In convention, the infrared ray is defined by having the wavelength in the fixed interval 0.7 – 300 micrometers.

Are thermal and infrared radiation the same thing?

Yes, if the sources of the radiation have temperatures comparable to room temperature. Thermal temperature depends on its absolute temperature. At zero degrees, an object will emit at all wavelengths;

1). the roof top being 5 – 10 degrees hotter than at ground level. Solar Panels are positioned to not be protected from the sun’s rays. The temperature of solar panels is therefore often significantly higher than that of your car windscreen.

2). as hotter objects thermal radiation may be masked by visible light or ultraviolet light.

4). zero degrees Kelvin is -273 degrees Celsius.

5). one millikelvin is equivalent to 1/1000th of a Kelvin or 1/1000th of a Celsius.

6). changes in Kelvin are inversely proportional to the maximized emission. 

What is field of view?

Field of View this is the area measured through the lens. This is what the image that is observed on the screen as a whole;

Field of view is normally expressed in angle  25° x 19° so in this case. Horizontal view is 25 degrees versus 19 degrees of vertical view. Imaging the lens taking the image being the top of a square pyramid. (I ‘sphink’ you can imagine that!)

Now take the lens concept up a notch say in to a helicopter and see a massive pyramid in theory the pixel resolution required to match that of 1 metre from the solar panels has to be humongous. This will affect the spatial resolution.

Spatial resolution is where the number of pixels remain the same more image but less ability to measure smaller areas of temperature difference. Thinking spatial resolution think how far away from the TV you sit before the image is distorted or optimal.

What MU means for you?

Every factor that is added together limiting the accuracy of the result. Expressed as a percentage. So for an understanding a temperature on a thermometer reading depends on case, position fluid inside and accuracy of scale in this example 15 degrees Celsius with a MU of  ± 3 would mean the temperature could actually be 12 – 18 degrees. 

The above is to heat up (pun intended) discussion on thermal images and whether this measurement has a place in the assessment of solar panels to decide if they require cleaning. As for the fake thermal imaging Apps, maybe best to keep them just for laughs around the barbie or for photos of the barbie itself.

Following on from our article ‘Tap out’. We are not advocating panic, but rather raising the public consciousness of waterborne diseases and associated health issues. We can provide testing for specific waterborne diseases, such as Legionnaires disease (speak to one of our specialists for more information on testing availability). Public health laboratories will provide comprehensive material and assurance on water safety. For more information, check the following link  <https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/water/Pages/drinking-water.aspx >.

What should you do to protect your health from waterborne disease?

Common sense can protect you and your loved ones far more readily. Label the outside taps so you know the source. Ensure the top of your outside water tank is not broken or an addition to the wild fern club! Additionally, clean the tanks regularly from the inside to remove the silt and discourage the mosquito paradise unchecked water tanks may create.

If the tank water at the outlet looks cloudy this is a concern and you can use ours or other services to check the potability or otherwise of the water that emits out. It is not just a case of replace the tank as professional rainwater tank cleaners (yes here at leaf it 2 us we are rainwater tank cleaners) can rejuvenate the insides, think a bionic clean akin to a calonic for the house and garden rainwater system.

Like the body the tank water is only is as good as the water that you put in.To keep the rainwater tank optimum, clean the solar panels and roofs and gutters on a regular basis. We recommend at least 6 monthly for solar panels or on an as needed basis (i.e post seagull depositing season.) As for gutters, it is every 9 – 12 month basis again on an add needed basis (blue gum owners delight is all I have to say). At leaf it 2 us we have the technology to leave you feeling flushed and clean! For checks, always use a free non-obligatory quote company and ask for evidence if they suggest you need to proceed. Always helps with a clear taste in your mouth when picking a reputable company.

Legionaires is in the news regularly, please see the links below for health concerns; https://www.sbs.com.au/news/four-new-cases-of-legionnaires-in-nsw, and https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/legionnaires_disease.aspx 

Rainwater tanks come in many shapes and sizes and the slim line water tanks can be forgotten as they can be tucked away on the side of a house often forming the block to access. But a regular check is as simple as taking a sample into a glass jar or looking at your swimming pool report where the tank water feeding in causes many a costly re-balancing issue.

You don’t need to tap out your rainwater tank taps you just need to give them to leaf it 2 us. Bionic calonic today your roses will thank you..

The sunny summer beckons and watching a young mum feed her son after successfully wrestling the majority of the food into his mouth in the back yard. She went to wash her son with water from an outside tap. I asked is that rainwater tank water or tap water?

“it is outside but I don’t know” was her reply. I suggested that as her gutters were cleaned her rainwater tanks could be the next step to consider. Especially if little Josh’s older sister’s had tea party supplies from said tap. An analogy of the bath water, you can see when a bath removes unseen muck, would you keep bathing in the same water? Now heat and cool the water outside and perhaps look at the outflow from your garden tap in a glass jar for a clue on the buildup of silt you may have in your rainwater tank, or take a peak at the inlet as green thriving plants need gorgeous soil for nourishment.

The reason for concern being bacteria, insects’ vermin and white dialectic material plus dried salts and metals from the roof and gutters decomposing are washed into tanks. The tanks then sit often for several months over winter before being used on our hotter days. This circle of life’ continues for years perhaps decades with silt building up inside the rainwater before someone unsuspectingly turns the handle and taps out…

This begs the question, when was the last time you had your rainwater tanks cleaned?!

The silt and breeding ground for stagnant water should be of concern to anyone using this source not least for garden bed pH balance or topping up the swimming pool and juggling the equilibrium as swimming soirées are soon upon us.

Where water is vital for life and collecting and being responsible for water use is the drive we all should look towards, the unseen dangers need to be weighed up and dealt with always.

What are WHO standards?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) gives this definition as fundamental basic human right for access to safe, clean water and safe and hygienic sanitation, which is not always achieved or respected. Check the following link, https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/water-quality/guidelines/en/ 

What is the start point?

So, the balancing act starts with cleaned roof and gutters and flows on to our rainwater tanks, especially, with the increasing use of tanks and their grey water use options. Perhaps this is why your plant beds are not thriving like the next doors as adding silt concentrate from your tanks will skew your garden soil. 

Labelling outside taps is one step for greater knowledge and then prevention rather than cure. As water for pet bowls and from sprinklers can affect more than we would like. Rejuvenate your billabong from your roof  top to your back garden and have more confidence in the water you surround yourself with. 

Book a free non-obligation quote to add a clear sparkle to the next princess tea party cup!

A day in the life of a solar panel specialist attending to the cleaning of local solar panels. Some would say is therapeutic and relaxing. Like a fisherman patiently casting the rod out to the target area and waiting for the equipment, skillfully avoiding the trees and power lines to cast the hook (solar panel brush) on the area, we know will bring up (in our case the rejuvenated streak free surface of the solar panels) the catch we are looking for.

Today was another day in the outside office as it were (outside work is never hum drum). The noise of a car speeding on the road broke serenity glancing to the side, a silver car rushed past and then milliseconds later a crash and smoke and revving engines then once again aftermath and silence.

A bit like a tour guide with an umbrella held aloft people can notice you cleaning solar panels with a 30 foot pole, maybe it was the dashing leaf it 2 us uniform, but two ladies rushed over, one of the ladies pushing a pram with a sleeping baby inside, both asking can we stay here we are scared. Placing equipment down I reassured them everything would be fine. Then, I went to see what was the commotion and the cause for concern. A car was still flailing against a street pole on a mission to break free like a fish trying to avoid the net and aiming to lurch back into the water. I turned around told the ladies and the house owner it was a car accident, that as a first aider I would go and see if I could help.

The car flailing broke free of the pole but beached immediately afterwards as the pole took the front drivers side wheel off as a parting souvenir. Assessing the area as safe I went over to the driver’s door as a first responder helped the driver out and turned off the ignition as the smoke abated, I noticed that there was liquid coming from under the engine area. I assessed the driver reassured him help was on its way and assisted the elderly gentleman to safety on the neighbouring property so he could rest before shock set in and away from the leaking engine/petrol fluid.

The neighbourhood emerged from behind their windows and came and took photos and offered drinks to calm the gentleman, then as neighbours often do discuss amongst themselves and comment about the carnage. Fortunately, the other car was not as severely damaged and the occupants came over and I asked them to call for the emergency services.

Aside from a Shiny streak free gleaming solar panel, the benefit customers get from the comprehensive training and induction staff receive at leaf it 2 us first aid training is a must. Working from the ground and thinking outside of old systems of work meant I could attend the accident scene faster. Don’t get me wrong we are for solar panel cleans not booking solar panel cleaning just to coincide for birthday parties so you have an on-site first aider available but we are conscious of our customers their neighbours and the community. Then again perhaps there is a use for the service offering blower vacs, in blowing up bouncy castles I mean!

Once the emergency services arrived, I could return to the hum drum peace of solar panel cleaning. The owner impressed and happy I left for the next job of the day… how was your day today?

Most streets have the forerunners with solar panels, the trend then spreads amongst the street or close faster than the ivy across the trellis, especially when the electricity savings are discovered. Yet the cleaning of the solar panels follows much the same as the maintenance of same said spreading ivy analogy. Do you a) cut back b) water and attend to it or c) settle down and forget? This is the stance that sees some hot water panel and solar panels look positively like a set aside field rather than a shiny clean electric juicing machine, let alone the once pristine ranks of gleaming solar panels adorning the roof top like a Nike swoosh!

Certainly, the role of mother nature in providing our Australian sunny weather for longer hours each month is ideal for capturing electricity generation that most of our European relatives can only be jealous of (London ~202hrs Norway ~180hrs , Brussels ~215 hrs compared to the hours of sunshine to Sydney >250hrs). Yet mother nature’s cleaning of sporadic rain may be less effective than you or your solar panels’ are inclined (pun intended) to believe.

Returning to our analogy, the ivy climbs at all angles, the streets solar panel decks also vary depending on the pitch of roof and orientation of the house. So, do they need cleaning at the same rate for two seemingly identical neighbours?

The pitch of roof and angle of solar panels do affect rain fall off. However, additional factors also play a part. Sure the environment may be similar i.e. both maybe exposed or away from salty sea air or dusty sand. But overhanging foliage does differ, as do birds and other wildlife access across the neighbourhood rooftops. The colloquially named Possum toilet that befalls certain rooftops would be a dire situation for a solar panel rank and their coverage. As such I would suggest clean the panels to discourage the local wildlife from congregating on an abandoned forgotten roof top.

Wind flow across the street rooftops and orientation around the desirable northerly facing aspects also changes subtly from house to house. One can quickly see how each neighbour may have different cleaning regimes.  So you have solar panels ask yourself where am I amongst these solar panel owner types;

Clean Owner: Have you washed your hair or car windscreen or windowpanes multiple times since the solar panels were installed, what differs to the roofs squeaky shiny look????

Memory Owner: Have you remembered asking for your solar panel selection angle and type, does rain dry or pool? 

Scientific Owner: Maybe your asking are the surfaces hydrophobic (water hating ergo repelling) or hydrophilic (water loving and clinging) coated surfaces then pondering further rather than taking action.

A Visionary Owner: Looking for the visible signs of need are most easily monitored not by looking from across the roads second floor bedroom window but by your electrical readout and monitoring it over the course of time.

A Techno Owner: Employing thermal imaging techniques from helicopter / drones to asses efficiency!

An Environmental Owner: Let the leaves gather as a canopy and obscure the animals as they shelter under, if they chew on the wires the fire could keep them warm.

What about the warranty issues?

Firstly and foremost your solar panel warranty issues should be a fundamental question the homeowner needs to be mindful of. Do not void your warranty by employing the first cleaner that proffers their service, and does not have the right tools for the job. 

Realizing that a system that is manufactured in 2019 may only be 28% efficient at its optimal efficiency at best and that as the systems of a few years back were only 18% at their peak and suddenly the deterioration of a few percentage due to leaf, lichen, white dielectric material (aka bird waste) in addition to dried rain marks can significantly dampen even the most ardent summer sun’s rays.

Let us be clear we are not here advocating for replacing with newer systems, we are here to say don’t invalidate your hard-earned investment by overlooking the return that you get if the system is cleaned properly. We suggest that you should not risk approaches that are not using solar panel specific equipment, or from service providers who are not trained to work safely at heights. Listening around the BBQ in a typical suburban neighbourhood one may hear such accounts as;

Uncle Joe’s bucket and scrapper approach which puts him at physical risk and your voltaic cells surface to a horrific early death.

Nephew Kevin’s pressure washer cleaning promise that strips your manufacturer’s warranty as well as potential damage.

Granny’s caustic homemade or budget detergent will also probably do more harm than good to the panels.

Reggie’s recycled rainwater tank water used to clean the panels. When was the last time your rainwater tanks were cleaned?!?! (here we do offer tank water cleaning service but not for solar cleaning effectiveness but that’s in another section). The severe silt from inside a rainwater tank literally leaves a cover within minutes of cleaning that is much worse than if they were never cleaned in the first place. 

Dusty’s super blast clean using blower vacs on the gutters and the efficiency just nosedived your solar panels efficiency faster than the popularity of your house in the street as your neighbours and yourself spend the next 2 – 3 months cleaning off the displaced bio-organically and insects blown out at high speed.

Your clean solution (pun intended!) is specific equipment for solar panels do the brushes clean rather than damage combined with de-mineralized water are the go-to options. Ask your working at heights qualified solar panel specialists from leaf it 2 us to show you how cleaning the right way can result in results that put money back in your hip pocket!

At leaf it 2 us we are so confident that you will have a markedly improved clean we do not charge at all for our time or clean if there is not an improvement (solar eclipse excluded!). This combined with before and after photos peace of mind never looked so squeaky clean and achievable!!!

 

Location, Location

Having our mailing centre in Rhodes and our main location in Baulkham Hills we are positioned to service key areas of Sydney often ignored logistically by our competitors.

Revolutionizing gutter cleaning from the ground up!

We are proud to focus on effective techniques and equipment that remove outdated practices of gutter cleaning. We strive for vacuum gutter cleaning best practice for safety, efficiency and cost effectiveness. We have in our vacuum gutter cleaning repertoire a range of the Sky Vac patented vacuum gutter cleaning machines. This  means, we use the specific system for your job’s need. This may be an internal high reach cleaning of a beam cross section in your ballroom or an external 4 stories high vacuum gutter clean. We have our feet planted safely and firmly on the ground. The power and lift the systems we use at leaf it 2 us means a quicker quieter greener approach.

No more sitting on the fence!

In our opinion the urgent need and choice for alternatives to the outdated can-based (phrase intended) systems were two-fold. Primarily, health and safety; we didn’t want to put our customers and the public at risk by leaving carbon monoxide generating vans open and unattended on the streets or your driveways, thereby exposing yourselves and passing public to toxic fumes and unattended moving machinery. Secondly, we did not want to be sitting on the fence so to speak. The van-based systems have hoses running from the van to your house. This can and often and in most cases does result in scrapping on fences and gutters as well as damage to flower beds and shrubs around your home and property. 

Our approach to vacuum gutters removes your inconvenience on the day of the service and also the night before. Those days are gone where customers have to annoy the neighbours by reserving spaces for prime location outside their homes just for the van-based system convenience and distance limitations to your gutters. Inner West and granny flats are particularly prone to this phenomenon! It should be noted the van to gutter model is limited on distance sometimes meaning 60 meters or more of industrial hose trailing through your flower beds and over your fences losing significant suction in the process compared to much closer systems that may be rated at much higher water lift than the van-based systems they supersede.

Are we different?

At leaf it 2 us we look at the business models from the perspective of you the customer so the service you receive is better than the current models out there and moving with the modern era. We still ensure our technicians all have working at heights or confined working certificates depending on the tasks we are undertaking but we ensure with our approaches you are not left picking up the pieces of systems that are sub optimal and in our view inherently dangerous from our observations so far of van-based operatives.

Keep calm and carry on safely!

Safety is very important to us. We ensure vacuum gutter cleaners abide by the legislation and do not necessarily expose you to risk. We have in date safety checked equipment that we always use. We can happily show you at our next visit. Indeed if any of our workers does not use the provided safety equipment they would be financial penalized by us as a matter of policy and risk being immediately removed from our service. I would ask our competitors to reach the same standards as us if only for their and your safety. There is simply no excuse for a reputable gutter cleaners or solar panel specialists not to do the same. If you have service people who have out of date safety equipment please guide them to us so we can certificate their equipment before they risk themselves, your home or your loved ones below.

Inspector Gadget!

Ok, so not like the cartoon Inspector Gadget we offer safety equipment checks for your equipment and working at heights fixed points. We offer safety checks for your working at height equipment that you may have or possibly have inherited at your premises. If your a residential, strata or commercial premises, you should you have cable or attachment points on the roofs checked yearly and documented. At leaf it 2 us we have an asset tagging system that ensures your compliance and puts your assets in a geo-located map for your convenience and compliance. Speak to one of our representatives today for more information.

Monitor us!

We want to take away levels of stress to the services that we provide for you. With trades work the unknown is often the most worrying. Our staff will confidently and comprehensively talk you through any and all work being undertaken, both from the initial consultation, including and even after our service has taken place. We provide as part of our receipts pre and post photographs and or videos showing our effectiveness of work. Additionally, upon booking and before the job commences is where clients begin to see the next level of service, we go to help you the customer relax. Its as easy as 1 – 5;

if booked >24 hrs before we send you a reminder email the day before the service is to commence. (Please ensure you provide us with the email and contact number of the person who will be at the premises upon booking our service). Bookings received for work the same day can have an email sent if they require on completion of the booking for their record history. On the day our technicians will notify you when they commence their route to you. Then we provide you with a link that you can watch our journey on route to you. All work undertaken will be shown to the person on site for sign off by you the client so that you can be content with the work carried out and before our technician/s leave. Upon request, we have a customer satisfaction survey that you can fill out immediately after our technician/s have left for your feedback and service improvements for next time we visit your home.