Soiling of photovoltaic panels in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and mitigation strategies

Fares, Enas; Buffière, Marie; Figgis, Benjamin; Haik, Yousef; Isaifan, Rima J.

doi:10.1016/j.solmat.2021.111303

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…The main proposition of dust soiling is attributed to dust particles in the silt size range with particle diameters ranging between 2 µm to 63 µm with a minority of clay particles. Sand particles are considered too heavy and their contribution to soiling is insignificant except during events with Adhesion forces on dust particles on the glass surface of the PV panel [8]. Reprinted from [8], Copyright (2021), with permission from Elsevier.…”

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sand particles are considered too heavy and their contribution to soiling is insignificant except during events with Adhesion forces on dust particles on the glass surface of the PV panel [8]. Reprinted from [8], Copyright (2021), with permission from Elsevier. very strong wind.…”

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dust soiling process starts with dust particle deposition at the glass surface due to wind transport. The dust particles adhere to the surface due to the relatively weak intermolecular forces such as van der Waals (VdW) that are present between particles and dry glass surface [3,[7][8][9]. The VdW is mainly dependent on the surface roughness and material properties including surface energy and material stiffness that determine the contact area between the dust particle and glass surface.…”

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When the relative humidity is more than 30%, but less than 60%, water is formed between dust particles and the surface [7,8]. This results in the formation of capillary forces consisting of liquid bridges that are present between the dust particles and the glass surface due to both tension and capillary pressure forces.…”

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Insight into dust soiling characteristics and cleaning solutions to investigate impact on PV systems performance across the globe

Alazbe,

Roy,

Alremeithi

et al. 2023

Prog. Energy

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The energy crisis we currently struggle with is an augmentation of decades of neglect and irrational exploitation of the Earth’s resources. With manifold contributing factors such as the high demand for energy, highly over-populated areas, and fossil fuel depletion, the EU has proposed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% of 1990 levels by 2030, on the ambitious road to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Enlarging and diversifying efficient renewable resources is a crucial pillar to satisfying the overwhelming energy needs. The road to this goal is paved by the intensive implementation of solar resources, which are the most promising with their ability to cover an entire year’s energy consumption by just one hour of irradiation if almost 100% of the incoming solar energy could be converted. As widespread and evolved as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems might be, they do present a myriad of challenges in their lifetime. PV soiling is among the major bottlenecks in PV power plants due to its direct influence on both the performance and efficiency of the overall system. This work will shed light on soiling characteristics after guiding through the soiling concepts, rates, and geographical distribution probability. The nature of soiling, its composition, and its impact on the performance of PV modules with full-sized cells will be described. The essence of this review is based on the various cleaning mechanisms that aim to reduce soiling and enhance PV plant performance. This work is concluded by summarizing the review content whilst highlighting the current support and efforts put forth by worldwide organizations to embody the motivation and essence of requirements in the pursuit of soiling reduction and green energy pathways.

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Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Formation Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Insight into dust soiling characteristics and cleaning solutions to investigate impact on PV systems performance across the globe

Alazbe,

Roy,

Alremeithi

et al. 2023

Prog. Energy

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show abstract

“…The dust accumulation on PV glass modules significantly reduces modules’ output power ( Figure 3 ). Hence, the PV industry has been active in developing anti-soiling and anti-reflection coatings [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. However, very few experimental works have reported such layers for a longer period of testing time considering natural sandstorms along with other cleaning procedures [ 43 ].…”

Section: Anti-dust Coatingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anti-Soiling Coatings for Enhancement of PV Panel Performance in Desert Environment: A Critical Review and Market Overview

Hossain

Ali²,

Benito³

et al. 2022

Materials

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Areas with abundant sunlight, such as the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), are optimal for photovoltaic (PV) power generation. However, the average power loss of photovoltaic modules caused by dust accumulation is extreme and may reach 1%/day, necessitating frequent cleaning which adds to the cost of operations and maintenance. One of the solutions to the problem of PV soiling is to develop anti-soil coatings, where hydrophilic or hydrophobic coatings with spectral characteristics suitable for PV applications are added to the outer layer of PV glass. However, the effectiveness of such coatings depends extensively on climatic conditions and geographical locations. Since coatings add to the cost of solar panels, it is imperative that they are first tested for suitability at the intended location and/or in similar weather conditions prior to their large-scale deployment. This critical review focuses on various anti-dust technologies employed to mitigate the PV soiling issue. The in-depth comparison of the various developed techniques and materials aims at providing a relevant input in adapting the right technology based on particles’ accumulation mechanism, weather conditions, and geographical location. Though the mechanical cleaning process is the most used solution to date, development of thin film anti-dust coating could be a better alternative—when it is relevant—due to its abrasion-free capability, large deployment, economic viability, and durability. This review aims at serving as a reference in this topic, thereby paving the way to adapting efficient anti-dust coatings, especially in the MENA region and/or desert environment at large, where it is the most relevant.

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Policies and Regulations for Sustainable Clean Air: An Overview

Al-Thani,

Isaifan

2024

The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry

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Soiling of photovoltaic panels in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and mitigation strategies

Cited by 23 publications

References 88 publications

Insight into dust soiling characteristics and cleaning solutions to investigate impact on PV systems performance across the globe

Insight into dust soiling characteristics and cleaning solutions to investigate impact on PV systems performance across the globe

Anti-Soiling Coatings for Enhancement of PV Panel Performance in Desert Environment: A Critical Review and Market Overview

Policies and Regulations for Sustainable Clean Air: An Overview

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