The efficiency of a photovoltaic (PV) panels drops significantly in dusty environments. The variation in temperature could have a substantial impact on PV panel cells, which could further lead to high deterioration and eventually permanent damage to the PV material in the presence of dust. To resolve this issue, in this work a novel hydrophobic silicon dioxide (SiO2)-based nanoparticle coating is proposed for the PV panel, to shrink the surface stress developed between the water and the coated facet. Two identical PV modules were installed to conduct comparable experimental tests simultaneously. The first module is coated by the SiO2 nanoparticles, and the second is uncoated and used as a reference. To maintain coherency, the experiments are done in the same environmental conditions, cleaning the PV modules at regular intervals. Results reveal that the accumulated energy generated during this period of study was comprehensively enhanced. Moreover, the self-cleaning property of the hydrophobic surface of the coated panel allowed water droplets to slide smoothly down the PV module surface, carrying dust particles. Useful recommendations are made at the end to enhance the performance of PV panels in dusty environments.

This paper presents a stand-alone Wind/PV hybrid power system supplying a threephase induction motor for pumping applications. The nonlinear dynamical mathematical model for the system components is presented and used for numerical simulations. The system comprises a fixed speed wind turbine driving a self-excited induction generator (SEIG) terminated by capacitor bank, and a photovoltaic (PV) array integrated via DC-DC converter, inverter and LC filter. The two sources feed (IM) driving a centrifugal pump. The duty ratio of the converter is controlled to maintain constant voltage at common coupling point. System performance is tested by changing the load torque coupled to the motor at certain solar irradiance levels and with fixing load torque with successive step changes of the solar irradiance levels. It is concluded that the system has the ability to run at wide range of solar intensity levels and motor loading conditions. Numerical simulations are executed using MATLAB software.

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