Nearby construction activity
Nearby construction activity raises dust that settles on module glass and adds to granular dust soiling. Construction is one of the local factors that can make soiling loss uneven across a site, along with roads, exposed soil, farming, prevailing wind and row edges. Construction dust can also get into connectors and can lead to arc faults and fires on site. Plants are most exposed while they are being built: graded sites often have no ground cover, connectors may be left unmated and uncapped, and cables may lie in open trenches. To limit exposure, keep connectors capped until they are interconnected and put protective coverings over cables. If connectors must stay open, fasten them under the modules where less water and dust can reach them, and tie cables to the racking. Watch for uneven soiling near active construction areas, and check the trend against rain and cleaning records.
<!-- review notes
- sentence 1: support check: partial - Passage lists construction as a factor making dust soiling spatially uneven, but doesn't explicitly say construction dust settles on module glass and adds to soiling.
- sentence 4: support check: partial - u24 says construction-phase sites lack ground cover, connectors may be unmated/uncapped, cables in open trenches, but doesn't say plants are 'most exposed' then; it says construction poses unique challenges.
- sentence 7: support check: partial - Passages support uneven soiling near construction and comparing trends with rain and cleaning records, but no explicit advice to watch near active construction areas. -->
Referenced by
- Granular Dust Soiling Losses
caused_byc4