Reducing dust effects on photovoltaic panels by hydrophobic coating

Abstract

This work aims at developing reliable solar technologies for regions characterized by hot climate and with high dust density, which are considered as significant constraints to the development of high-performance photovoltaic systems in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regions. After reviewing actual technologies to solve these issues in MENA region, where water is considered a precious resource, a proposal to apply a nanocoating on photovoltaic panels in a simple and cost-effective way is examined. Experimentations realized under control of optical and electrical benches revealed a considerable gain in light transmission and open circuit voltage, respectively. A thermoelectric analysis demonstrated that nanocoated photovoltaic (PV) modules are running cooler than untreated ones. This behavior is due to hot spot caused by shading effects of dusts in case of uncoated PV panels. The tested hydrophobic coating layer reduces these issues and solves the problems of dust and electrical losses.