Characterization of Dust on the Surface of Photovoltaic Panels in Low Latitude and High Altitude Plateau Areas

Abstract

Fossil energy consumption and climate crisis have witnessed an allure towards harnessing solar energy. Nevertheless, dust weather leads to the inevitable power output deterioration of the photovoltaic (PV) station. Dust-PV connection studies have been widely concerned in the semi-arid and desert regions at low latitudes and altitudes. However, dust’s properties on PV panels in low latitude and high altitude plateau areas in Sichuan province of China remain relatively in the dark. Here, the chemical and physical characteristics of dust particles on PV installations were analyzed in Ganzi, Si Chuan province. Particle characterization results, PV arrays parameters and local geographical features were imposed in computer simulation to reach reality. The results showed that SiO2 and CaCO3 were the primary phases, but the dust also was made up of Rb, Y, and Sr trace elements infrequently observed in other desert regions. The microcosmic appearance of dust displayed that nano- and micro-particles with pores were disorderly distributed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) (CFD-DEM) coupling simulation results illustrated that dust accumulation was increased from the back to the front rows of PV panels. It was noted that virtual results were consistent with the actual scene on the distinct edge.

Soiling mitigation potential of glass coatings and tracker routines in the desert climate of Saudi Arabia

“…Brahim Aïssa and his team presented various articles to demonstrate that wind direction and tilt angle could potentially be beneficial in reducing pollution 20 . Changquan suggested that differentiated cleaning strategies, including tilting to target wind direction, can effectively reduce dust 21 . Against the background that a majority of new installations in deserts are using one‐axis trackers, storing the modules vertically or upside down during the night is considered as a widely applicable solution to reduce soiling up to 50% at acceptable costs 9,10 .…”

“…20 Changquan suggested that differentiated cleaning strategies, including tilting to target wind direction, can effectively reduce dust. 21 Against the background that a majority of new installations in deserts are using one-axis trackers, storing the modules vertically or upside down during the night is considered as a widely applicable solution to reduce soiling up to 50% at acceptable costs. 9,10 Adoptive tracking techniques have been investigated by Ricardo to improve PV performance and reduce soiling.…”

Characterisation of Dust Particles Deposited on Photovoltaic Panels in the United Arab Emirates

“…Innovative passive and advanced cleaning technologies offer efficient solutions, while interdisciplinary approaches involving physics, impact analysis, machine learning, and thermal conductive coatings can optimise solarwind hybrid systems, ensuring sustained power generation and reduced loss due to dust deposition. The research in [15] analyses dust effects on solar PV stations in Sichuan's Ganzi region. SiO 2 and CaCO 3 are identified as primary dust phases, with unique trace elements like Rb, Y, and Sr.…”