Soiling

Scientists in Sudan have called for the inclusion of PV module cleaning operations in green building standards to address a key maintenance gap in renewable energy systems. It would target improved system performance in environments where dust and soiling pose persistent challenges.

Scientists in South Africa have used computational fluid dynamics to investigate whether a dummy panel, placed in front of a working PV panel, can mitigate soiling. They have tested this setup with various inclination angles, heights, and distances and have found that the dummies accumulated up to 58% more dust than the PV panels.

The Portuguese company said its new anti-soiling solution lasts for at least a year. It can be applied during routine cleaning operations by mixing it directly in the cleaning water.

An international research team studied the solar PV impact of emissions from a coal-fired power plant in the Atacama Desert, finding that after five months of exposure, the deposited dust on co-located PV panels reached a maximum of 1.63 mg/cm2 with a 23 % reduction in photocurrent. The accumulation at the co-located plant was 3 times greater than nearby PV sites with similar coastal climate conditions.

Scientists in China have analyzed the impact of soiling of PV module performance and have found that tilt angle has the greatest impact, followed by irradiance intensity and dust deposition density.

Researchers had placed a cotton sheet on the back of a PV module, which was then made wet and cooled. On the front side, water was pumped water from a pipe in a way that kept the panel both cool and clean. Their experimental setup showed superior results compared to reference cooling technologies.

A team of researchers in Algeria has designed a new testbed and a novel acceleration law that accounts for both wind speed and sand density. The new methodology was tested on four PV modules and showed lifespans of up to 47 years in terms of sand impact.

Researchers in China have investigated the dust-scaling process and various water-based cleaning methods to optimize maintenance strategies for enhanced safety and efficiency in PV systems.

Scientists in Peru have proposed a self-contained, deployable system that quantifies energy losses from dust accumulation on PV modules. It uses both artificial neural networks and electrical models for soiling loss prediction.

Scientists have measured the performance of PV modules under strong soiling conditions in Saudi Arabia and have identified the most suitable tilt angles for improving power generation. They have also found that a key role is played by rain intensity, dust, sandstorms, and cloud cover.