Suwon to Clean Equipment at 8 Community Solar Power Plants

[Suwon Ilbo=Seo Dong-young Reporter] Suwon City announced on the 6th that it has begun cleaning equipment at eight Community Solar Power Plants within the city.

The '2020 Solar Cell Array' project, which runs from June 1st through the 28th, involves high-pressure water spray and chemical cleaning to prevent power generation efficiency decline and facility deterioration caused by accumulated dirt and bird droppings on solar module surfaces, as well as to extend facility lifespan.

Solar cells are devices that convert light energy from sunlight into electrical energy. Solar cell arrays are multiple solar cell modules connected in series and parallel.

The city has a total of nine Community Solar Power Plants, including Unit 1 inside the Gwanggyo Public Parking Lot. The cleaning targets are eight facilities, excluding Unit 7, whose ownership was transferred to the Suwon Citizen Solar Power Generation Social Cooperative in July of last year.

The total project cost is approximately 13.7 million won, which is entirely borne by the city.

After cleaning, the city expects increased power generation (electricity output) and sales revenue as well as extended facility lifespan through efficient operation of the power generation equipment.

The city plans to compare and analyze economic efficiency based on power generation after the cleaning work, and will use the results to determine cleaning cycles and frequencies for all solar power generation equipment in Suwon from 2021 onwards.

Meanwhile, the Community Solar Power Plants are eco-friendly solar power facilities jointly built by the city and the Suwon Citizen Solar Power Generation Social Cooperative since 2014. Half of the electricity sales revenue is provided as 'energy welfare funds' to the energy-poor (socially vulnerable groups), while the other half is reinvested in solar power generation facilities.