Enhance the performance of photovoltaic solar panels by a self-cleaning and hydrophobic nanocoating

Abstract

The photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are negatively impacted by dust accumulation. The variance in dust density from point to point raises the risk of forming hot spots. Therefore, a prepared PDMS/SiO2 nanocoating was used to reduce the accumulated dust on the PV panels' surface. However, the effectiveness of these coatings is greatly influenced by geographical and climatic factors. Three identical PV modules were installed to run comparable experimental tests simultaneously. The first module is coated with the prepared PDMS/SiO2 nanocoating, the second is coated with commercial nanocoating, and the third module is uncoated and serves as a reference. The prepared nanocoating was hydrophobic and had a self-cleaning effect. The fill factors for the reference panel (RP), commercial-nanocoated panel (CNP), and prepared-nanocoated panel (PNP), were 0.68, 0.69, and 0.7, respectively. After 40 days of exposure to outdoor conditions, the dust densities on the RP and PNP panels' surfaces were 10 and 4.39 g/m2, respectively. Thus, the nanocoated panel's efficiency was found to be higher than that of the reference panel by 30.7%.

Micron-Smooth, Robust Hydrophobic Coating for Photovoltaic Panel Surfaces in Arid and Dusty Areas

“…As shown in Figure 9c, the friction of the sandpaper on the coating caused rough structures on the coating surface, which may also be the reason for some upward fluctuations in the contact angle. Most of the gradual deterioration in the hydrophobicity is due to the destruction of some protrusions on the coating surface, and the wear marks become more and more visible with increasing wear cycles [23,24]. In contrast, the nanoscale flat surface coating improved the hydrophobic degradation due to the destruction of the surface rough structure compared to most reported stable hydrophobic coatings, showing better mechanical stability and maintaining its hydrophobicity even after 200 cycles.…”

Feasibility Study and Design of a Stand-alone Floating Photovoltaic Structure for Toshka Lake

“…These techniques necessitate an energy input that is consistent with the benefits of working at lower temperatures and mitigating negative dust effects. A WVC system requires less than 1% of the energy produced, while the energy gain is anticipated to be around 10% [46,47].…”

Investigating the effect of solvent on the efficiency of natural pigment- based dye-sensitized solar cells

“…Two primary performance parameters arise from this curve: the Isc and the Open-Circuit Voltage (Voc). Isc represents the cell's maximum current without external resistance, with higher values pointing to enhanced sunlight capture (Tayel et al, 2022). In contrast, Voc, the peak voltage when no current is under illumination, can illuminate the potential energy discrepancy in the cell's materials.…”