Reduced power generation efficiency of solar panels in dusty locations

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to investigate the performance of solar panels depending on the climate conditions of their location and the chemical and electrophysical characteristics of deposited dust. In particular, we study the effect of surface contamination of solar panels on their efficiency and determine the period of dust deposition that is critical in terms of power generation reduction. Experiments were conducted in April 2022 in the Republic of Tajikistan and the Chelyabinsk region of the Russian Federation. Both domestic and foreign publications on the impact of surface contamination on solar cell efficiency were reviewed. Comparative field experiments were carried out to investigate the performance of solar panels depending on environmental variables. It was found that the level of dust deposition in the Chelyabinsk region reached about 12–19 mg/m3, which is significantly lower than that in Tajikistan. However, due to its fine disperse structure, this dust is harder to remove. In Tajikistan, the capacity of the solar panel covered with dust de-creased by 46.64% relative to its nominal value in the first decade of April (the onset of dust storms). In the large industrial city of Chelyabinsk, the power output of the panels under study decreased by an average of 7.1% during this period. These findings confirm the importance of solar panel protection for maintaining the nominal values of solar power generation in the given regions. When no special protection devices are used, cleaning frequency for maintaining the re-quired efficiency of solar panels should be, on average, not less than once a week for both regions. A device is proposed for preventing dusting of the solar panel surface based on electron-ion technology. In addition, holographic films can be used to protect solar panels not only from dust contamination, but also from IR radiation. These protection approaches are the subject of future research.