cleaning system

Airtouch Solar Group has launched a cleaning solution for utility-scale solar PV plants to provide autonomous, water-free panel surface cleaning. The 4-meter cleaning unit weighs less than 40 kg and is commonly utilized in arid and dusty locations.

A Jordanian research team has designed a cleaning technique for solar modules that uses static electricity to remove dust from panel surfaces. The system features an electrostatic ionizer that reduces attraction between dust particles and their accumulation on modules, improving their energy yield.

South African researchers have developed a new cleaning system for solar panels that uses a color-sensing light-to-frequency converter to detect dirt. It can reportedly remove around 95% of the dust from a PV panel in less than a minute, at a lower cost than other systems.

Greenleap Robotics has built the Lotus A4000 cleaning robot with automotive-grade components to serve as a reliable way to clean solar panels in arid regions.

Scientists in South Korea have used a triboelectric generator and an electrodynamic dust shield to develop a panel-cleaning system that can be activated by footsteps. They said the system can remove more than 70% of accumulated dust with the pressure of just 12 footsteps.

Enray Solutions has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning robot for ground-mount solar installations that draws its power from an on-board PV panel and battery. The robot is designed to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of all kinds of terrain.

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a system that can be operated at a voltage of around 12V, with a 95% recovery rate for lost power after cleaning. The waterless system can be operated automatically via an electric motor.

The handheld, cordless cleaning tool is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to automated cleaning robots that are usually limited in operation by panel inclination.

British scientists have developed an experimental compressed air system for the simultaneous cleaning and cooling of PV modules. The system was built with a compressed-air unit which was made of a compressor, an air tank, and an airflow regulation valve, and a series of nozzles. The technique was tested on a PV system located in northwestern India.

Solavio Labs has already held three funding rounds to support the development of its new panel-cleaning robot.