Experimental study for the effect of dust cleaning on the performance of grid-tied photovoltaic solar systems

Abstract

One of the challenges facing investment in photovoltaic (PV) energy is the accumulation of dust on the surface of the PV panels due to frequent dust storms in many countries, including Iraq. Surface dust particles reduce solar irradiance which declining the electrical performance of the PV solar systems. Therefore, this paper proposes an experimental study to analyze and evaluate the power efficiency of a PV system installed in Baghdad city, Iraq. The performance of dusty solar PV array is compared with that of the clean array of the same PV system. The clean solar array is equipped with an automatic-sprayer cleaning system that is powered by the PV system. The automatic cleaning system utilized in the test system reduces human effort by cleaning the PV array using closed-cycle water with low energy consumption (less than 10 Wh). The PV array under test is part of a 15 kW grid-tied PV system. The experimental results show significant improvement in the performance parameters of efficiency, performance ratio, and the energy gain compared to the clean array. Furthermore, the experimental study contributes to a reduction in CO2 emission, which is substantial for the Iraqi environment that suffers from predominate fossil-fuel power plants.

In Situ Tests of the Monitoring and Diagnostic System for Individual Photovoltaic Panels

“…The higher temperature of PV cells causes a decrease in the voltage generated by the cell, which in turn causes a decrease in generated power and thus photovoltaic conversion [9][10][11][24][25][26]. As a result of tests, it was also confirmed that maintaining the cleanliness of the panels is an important factor affecting the efficiency of a photovoltaic installation [14][15][16]. It is also reasonable to build intelligent systems for detecting malfunctions and cell damage, which may destroy the panel causing a significant loss in power in the circuit to which the damaged panel is connected [7,8].…”

“…It is recommended to remove dirt on average 2-4 times a year (preferably after a period of grass and tree pollination), but this operation should be approached rationally. Experimental studies on the influence of cleaning on the efficiency of the installation were carried out in Iraq [16], but the economic aspects were not presented. In Poland, the cost of panel cleaning is from 1-2.5 EUR per m 2 (for installations with areas larger than 100 m 2 ).…”

Artificial intelligence and information management in the energy transition of India: lessons from the global IT heart

“…Large-scale photovoltaic plants are commonly seen in torrid regions such as Rajasthan in India (Pandey et al , 2012); however, these plants must contend with habitat factors such as high dust concentration that require maintenance services to boost PV installation performance (Parashar and Parashar, 2018, p. 4925; Liu et al , 2021; Kasim et al , 2021). In this process, robotic cleaners provide effective assistance that can be enhanced by using machine learning algorithms and AI techniques such as artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms to design cleaners’ performance by measuring sensor data and providing various information such as the battery’s profitable life by applying prognostic algorithms to its charging (Parashar and Parashar, 2018, p. 4926).…”

Adaptive photovoltaic solar module based on internet of things and web-based monitoring system

“…Many previous researchers have been done to extend the photovoltaic solar module to support energies. Some research has been on the performance of grid-tied photovoltaic solar systems [1], behavior search algorithm on estimation of solar photovoltaic [2] and design for cost reduction and system compliance for Photovoltaic solar farm [3]. Renewable energy is the alternative power source in achieving greater popularity and solar photovoltaic is a good combination that can offer beneficial solutions [4].…”