Soiling

A Spanish start-up has developed a system which offers automated fault detection in solar panels at any scale.

A U.K. study has identified 13 soiling agents with differing effects on light transmittance. Researchers found some dust particles were able to degrade photovoltaic performance by as much as 98%.

A minor concern it may be, compared to the tragic loss of life, livelihoods and biodiversity caused by the bushfires still ravaging parts of Australia, but reduced output by PV systems due to smoke haze is an unwelcome bi-product of blazes that have burned at a scale and ferocity never seen before.

Scientists from Israel have used nanowires to detach particles from the surfaces of solar panels. The proposed microscopic self-cleaning technology is said to raise the efficiency of particle removal with hydrophobicity.

A study has estimated the cost of PV project soiling may increase from €3-5 billion last year to €4-7 billion by 2023 due to more extensive deployment in high insolation and soiling-affected regions, such as China and India. The authors of the paper outlined the potential of soiling mitigation technologies while stressing more R&D is needed to reduce costs and for the adoption of such measures on a larger scale.

Soiling and solar: No two solar plants are ever the same, and the conditions that can impact energy yield can literally change with the wind. Soiled solar modules had long been considered a minor nuisance for the sector, but as understanding of how soiling affects output improves, so have techniques and technologies to tackle the persistent problem of dirty modules.

The Israeli robotic cleaning specialist for the solar industry has completed a new funding round that will support the firm’s global expansion, meet growing demand and boost R&D.

Troubleshooting series: Steadily declining system yield over the years is to be expected due to module degradation in photovoltaic systems. But in the following case, the yield abruptly dropped – and it happened after several years of operation. In this series based on real cases, pv magazine aims to make assessment of troubleshooting efforts more concrete and stimulate a discussion about troubleshooting efficiency today.

The Dutch materials specialists have conducted new field tests in China that show how its new anti-soiling coating can keep solar panels cleaner for longer, resulting in additional yield on solar modules.

The Israeli manufacturer today announced that it has completed the retrofitting of its robotic cleaning technology to the 40 MW Ketura solar plant in southern Israel.