For a city that’s known as a concrete jungle, significant numbers of trees are planted every year in Houston. Trees for Houston has planted more than 600,000 since it was founded in 1983. The trees bring huge benefits, such as reduced gaseous air pollution (absorbing carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide), providing oxygen through photosynthesis, providing shelter for wildlife and habitats for birds. Trees absorb excess rainwater and provide shade – shade for buildings, shade for houses, shade for sidewalks.
If you’ve ever parked your car under a tree, you’ll know the downside of the shade you find under a tree. Pollen.
The beautiful Pecan tree is the official state tree of Texas. A fresh-baked Pecan pie is hard to beat at any time of year. But the pollen of our delicious pecan is second only to ragweed as a source of severe allergies. Pecan pollen is released from mid-March onwards, with each primary bud capable of producing over 5 million pollen grains (research published by J. Benton Storey at Texas A&M University).
Just an hour under a pecan tree during pollen season will drop a fine sticky layer of pollen grains all over your car windshield glass. It’ll take some serious windscreen wiping to get clean. Even heavy rain won’t lift it off. And it’s not only pecan trees.
All pollen affects your solar panels by depositing a fine layer. Only there’s no windshield wipers.
Dirty panels have reduced power generation and the build-up over time can create “hotspots”. These may cause individual panel cell strings to fail. Which is why most reputable solar installers recommend some sort of regular panel cleaning.
The majority of tree and grass pollen seasons are over by April in Houston’s seasonal pollen cycle. Just as we approach our season of maximum hours of sunshine and what should be the period when you are creating the most solar energy. Make sure you are getting the most from your solar panel installation by getting your panels cleaned three or four times a year – starting in March or April, as pollen decreases and sunshine really powers up.
