Dust and cleaning impact on the performance of photovoltaic: an outdoor experimental study

ABSTRACT

Dust accumulation on photovoltaic modules (PVs) affects performance and reduces productivity. Many parameters specify the dust effect, and the degradation is different for PV technologies. In this study, four PV modules each with a 100 W rating were installed and tested horizontally in Sohar, Oman, for an entire year. Two monocrystalline (m-Si) and two polycrystalline (p-Si), one dusty and one kept clean. The measured power, voltage, and current show the degradation where the m-Si shows more reduction compared with p-Si. According to microscopic and XRD analysis, the dust particles have a size of 25–61 µm, and the main elements are SiO2 (55.7%) and CaO (30.0%). For m-Si and p-Si, power reductions were 19% and 14%, respectively. M-Si is more affected by dust than p-Si based on its I-V characteristics. After 55 days of dust accumulation, m-Si power degradation was found to be 40%. Furthermore, the highest power degradation was found in August. The m-Si efficiency, PV performance, capacity, and yield factors are 9.24–10.76%, 52.76–72.81%, 19.53, and 140.87 Wh/Wp, respectively. The results conclude that despite the dust accumulation still, the m-Si PV module shows promising behavior and characteristics in Oman.

KEYWORDS:

• PV performance
• photovoltaic size
• soiling dust
• cleaning methods

Author contributions

“All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Hussein A. Kazem: data curation, conceptualization, supervision, methodology, writing- original draft preparation. Miqdam T. Chaichan: investigation; writing-original draft preparation. Ali H. A. Al-Waeli and K Sopian: investigation, writing- reviewing and editing, methodology.”

Disclosure statement

“We the authors declare no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers’ bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.”

Additional information

Funding

“This work has received funding from the Research Council of the Sultanate of Oman, Research Grant Agreement No. ORG SU EI 11 010 and MoHERI block Funding Agreement NO TRC/BFP/SU/01/2018”

Notes on contributors

Hussein A. Kazem

Hussein A Kazem obtained his BSc, MSc in electrical engineering from University of Technology, Iraq, also PhD from Newcastle University, UK. He is presently Associate Professor in Faculty of Engineering-Sohar University, Oman. He has been involved in the field of solar and renewable energy for more than twenty years. His main contributions are in standalone and grid-connected photovoltaic systems, solar radiation and systems modeling, solar water heating system, solar desalination, combined photovoltaic thermal or hybrid collector and solar/wind hybrid system. He has published seven books and over 250 research papers in journals and conferences. He has delivered keynotes speeches at national and international conferences on renewable energy. He is a winner of some national and international awards. He had completed some national and international research grants. He is chairman of the Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology Research Group in Oman.

Ali H. A. Al-Waeli

Ali H.A. Al-Waeli is an Assistant Professor in the engineering department at the American University of Iraq – Sulaimani (AUIS). He has obtained his bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Sohar University, Oman in 2016. In 2019, Ali obtained a Ph.D. in renewable energy from SERI, UKM. He has over 50 publications in Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus indexed international journals. He is also a reviewer peer reviewer in many international journals. He is also a member of international organizations such as IEEE, WSSET, IAENG, and ISES.

Miqdam T. Chaichan

Miqdam T. Chaichan is a professor in mechanical engineering at the Energy and Renewable Energies Technology Center, in the University of Technology, Iraq. In 1982, he obtained his B.Sc. in mechanical engineering from the engineering college of Baghdad University and in 1989 he obtained a M.Sc. in power generation from the University of Technology, Baghdad.

K. Sopian

Kamaruzzaman Sopian obtained his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 1985, MSc in Energy Resources from the University of Pittsburgh in 1989 and PhD. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Miami - Coral Gables in 1997. He is presently the Professor and Director of the Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Aslan Gholami

Aslan Gholami graduated with PhD from Faculty of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, SBU. He has many publication in the field of solar energy and more focus on the dust impact on photovoltaic systems. He has more than 35 published papers in international journals and conferences.

Waheeb E. Alnaser

Waheeb Essa Alnaser, Vice President for Academic Programs and Graduate Studies, University of Bahrain. A professor of Applied Physics since 1998, Chairman for Arab Section at International Solar Energy Society, ISES, since 1994, Ex- Secretary General of Arab Renewable Energy Association, Jordan and Consultant for Renewable Energy Network, WREN, UK. Published more than 120 international refereed scientific paper and published many books (specialized and for public). The research is focused on material physics, renewable energy , astronomy and environmental physics.