Transparent self-cleaning coatings have garnered significant attention for their promising prospects in outdoor applications, particularly in solar panels and high-end optical devices. However, existing technologies still grapple with the challenges of achieving high transmittance and superior weather resistance. Therefore, developing cost-effective coatings that possess both high transparency and excellent durability is paramount. A novel method for synthesizing an anti-reflective (AR) coating is presented in this paper, offering simplicity, cost-efficiency, and high performance. By merging acid-base catalyzed sol-gel chemistry with the dip-coating process, the coating's transparency, durability, and hydrophobicity are notably improved. Production time is significantly reduced through process optimization. The AR coating achieves an exceptional transmittance of 97.3 % at 620 nm, a 6.7 % increase over that of untreated glass. Furthermore, its 145° water contact angle demonstrates excellent hydrophobicity and self-cleaning properties. Mechanical stability tests indicate that the coating retains over 96 % transmittance even after 30 tape adhesion cycles. Long-term UV exposure tests reveal that the coating's transmittance and contact angle remain almost unchanged, underscoring its superior environmental stability and weather resistance. Additionally, the coating enhances the transmittance of multi-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar cells compared to commercial glass, boosting the photovoltaic conversion efficiency from 11.04 % to 11.81 %, an increase of 7 %. With these exceptional properties, this coating holds significant potential for applications in mc-Si solar cells and high-end optical devices, providing the industry with an efficient and economical solution.