Experimental investigation of photovoltaic module system coupled with solar panel cleaning system

Sai Manoj Katakam,Yash Guptaa,Susheel Reddy Aligireddy,Adil Ashraf Bhukhari,Deepali Atheaya

doi:10.21595/vp.2019.21142

Abstract

Solar energy is a non-conventional source of energy. Solar panels generate electrical output by absorbing solar radiation. The performance of photovoltaic (PV) module often depends on environmental factors like dust, humidity, hail and temperature. Installation elements like altitude, installation site, tilt angle also affects the efficiency of solar energy output. The objective of this research work is to clean the dust deposited on PV panels using the minimum amount of water and energy. To regularly clean the dust, a semi-automatic self-cleaning mechanism has been designed and fabricated, which cleans the deposited dust on the solar panel automatically. Therefore, the process turns out to be reliable and faster and it leads to increased power output of the solar panels. An experimental investigation has been done at Bennett University, Greater Noida dated 15 October to 21st October 2019. An increase in efficiency by 1.2 % to 3 % was reported in this experimental study.

Highlights

The world is conscious about energy crisis problem and it’s time to implement other alternative mechanisms for obtaining safe and efficient energy
In this research paper an effort has been done to increase the maximum electrical energy of PV module. To address this need for a cleaning mechanism a semi-automatic self-cleaning mechanism has been developed for solar panels
In this research work an experimental set up has been set up to study the effects of cleaning glass of PV module in order to improve the performance of PV panels

Summary

Introduction

The world is conscious about energy crisis problem and it’s time to implement other alternative mechanisms for obtaining safe and efficient energy. The robotic system consisting of silicone rubber foam brush minimized the effect of dust on the PV panels and increased the power output This method was cheap and did not damage the solar panels. Deb et al [11] developed an automated water free cleaning system to remove dust over the solar panels and compared the energy captured. In this research paper an effort has been done to increase the maximum electrical energy of PV module To address this need for a cleaning mechanism a semi-automatic self-cleaning mechanism has been developed for solar panels. This device will boost the efficiency by increasing the energy output of solar panels quickly and it is cost-effective. A) b) Fig. 2. a) Actual photograph of the experimental setup showing PV module and nozzles; b) actual photograph showing various equipment used to measure the power output

Analysis of the photovoltaic module system

Results and discussions

Conclusions