Solar system cleaning apparatus

Abstract

Solar system cleaning apparatuses and methods of cleaning solar systems are described. A solar system cleaning apparatus includes a vehicle. A first basin is mounted on the vehicle, the first basin to supply a cleaning medium to a solar module. A second basin is mounted on the vehicle, the second basin to collect the cleaning medium from the solar module. A filter is coupled to the first basin and the second basin, the filter to transfer the cleaning medium from the second basin to the first basin.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A solar system cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a vehicle configured to over-hang a solar module;   a first basin mounted on the vehicle, the first basin to supply a cleaning medium to the solar module without the vehicle physically contacting the solar module;   a second basin mounted on the vehicle, the second basin to collect the cleaning medium from the solar module without the vehicle physically contacting the solar module; and   a filter coupled to the first basin and the second basin, the filter to transfer the cleaning medium from the second basin to the first basin.   
     
     
         2 . The solar system cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first basin is configured to supply the cleaning medium to more than one side of the solar module at the same time. 
     
     
         3 . The solar system cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is configured to ride on a rail system. 
     
     
         4 . The solar system cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second basin is configured to collect the cleaning medium from the solar module by a technique selected from the group consisting of gravity collection and vacuum collection. 
     
     
         5 . The solar system cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the solar system cleaning apparatus is configured to reuse the cleaning medium by supplying the cleaning medium to the same or another solar module subsequent to transferring the cleaning medium from the second basin to the first basin. 
     
     
         6 . The solar system cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the solar module is a concentrator-cell photo-voltaic module. 
     
     
         7 . A solar energy collection system, comprising:
 a plurality of solar modules; and   a solar system cleaning apparatus coupled with the plurality of solar modules, the solar system cleaning apparatus, comprising:
 a track-based vehicle configured to over-hang the plurality of solar modules, the track-based vehicle comprising a first basin mounted on the track-based vehicle, the first basin to supply a cleaning medium to one or more of the plurality of solar modules without the track-based vehicle physically contacting the solar module, a second basin mounted on the track-based vehicle, the second basin to collect the cleaning medium from the one or more solar modules without the track-based vehicle physically contacting the solar module, and a filter coupled to the first basin and the second basin, the filter to transfer the cleaning medium from the second basin to the first basin; and 
 a track system to provide access of the track-based vehicle to each of the plurality of solar modules. 
   
     
     
         8 . The solar energy collection system of  claim 7 , wherein the first basin is configured to supply the cleaning medium to more than one side of each of the plurality of solar modules at the same time. 
     
     
         9 . The solar energy collection system of  claim 7 , wherein the second basin is configured to collect the cleaning medium from the one or more of the plurality of solar modules by a technique selected from the group consisting of gravity collection and vacuum collection. 
     
     
         10 . The solar energy collection system of  claim 7 , wherein the solar system cleaning apparatus is configured to reuse the cleaning medium by supplying the cleaning medium to the same or another one or more of the plurality of solar modules subsequent to transferring the cleaning medium from the second basin to the first basin. 
     
     
         11 . The solar energy collection system of  claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of solar modules is a concentrator-cell photo-voltaic module. 
     
     
         12 . A method of cleaning a solar module, comprising:
 providing a cleaning medium to a first basin mounted on a vehicle;   supplying, with the vehicle over-hanging the solar module, the cleaning medium from the first basin to the solar system to clean the solar module;   collecting, in a second basin mounted on the vehicle, the cleaning medium from the solar module;   filtering, by a filter coupled to the second basin and the first basin, the cleaning medium; and   transferring the cleaning medium to the first basin.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein supplying the cleaning medium from the first basin to the solar module comprises supplying the cleaning medium to more than one side of the solar module at the same time. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein collecting the cleaning medium is performed by a technique selected from the group consisting of gravity collection and vacuum collection. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising re-using the cleaning medium by re-supplying the cleaning medium to a second solar module subsequent to transferring the cleaning medium from the filter to the first basin.