Influence of environmental dust accumulation on the performance and economics of solar energy systems: A comprehensive review

Abstract

The growing energy demand in contemporary societies, coupled with the environmental detriments of conventional energy sources, necessitates a shift towards sustainable alternatives such as solar energy. However, the efficiency of solar energy systems is contingent upon various factors including surface orientation, tilt angle, geographic location, climatic conditions, solar irradiation, humidity, and temperature. Nevertheless, dust deposition on the active surfaces of solar energy systems remains the primary factor that highly impacts the system's energy yield, profitability, and efficiency. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the impact of environmental dust accumulation on the performance of solar energy systems that comprise photovoltaic, flat plate collectors, concentrating solar collectors, or solar chimneys. The objectives of this paper extend to consider economic consequences and the cleaning cost due to dust accumulation on the active surfaces of solar energy systems. The annual revenue loss due to dust accumulation was estimated at up to 35 % for 20 % of solar radiation reduction due to dust accumulation and the cleaning costs ranged from 0.016 to 0.9 $/m2 worldwide, depending on system type, location, and cleaning technique. The present study offers distinctive perspectives on the topic and provide valuable information to policymakers, researchers, end-users, and stakeholders in the solar energy industry.