Featured in A solar lifeline – 07-2021

In Conversation: Dust matters

Anil Kottantharayil currently leads the Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, as well as the Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility, at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. He works on high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells, the impact of dust on solar panels, and the long-term reliability of photovoltaic modules.

By

Uma Gupta

08 Jul 2021

Image: IIT Bombay

What are you seeing in your work as to how PV modules are performing in the field in India? Typically, solar panel manufacturers give nameplate performance guarantees of 80% peak output after 25 years of use. That means there would be a 20% degradation in 25 years, or about 0.8% per year. However, in …

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