article · Energy Reports
Natural dust deposition significantly degrades the operational performance of rooftop solar photovoltaic modules in Mediterranean climates. Experimental testing of three rooftop systems in Mohammedia, Morocco, reveals that continuous dust accumulation without scheduled cleaning leads to substantial electrical output losses. Power production drops between 7.4% and 12.35%, while maximum current decreases by 11.6% to 18%. Measurements of optical transmittance on glass samples show reductions between 75% and 5%. Material analysis reveals that silica and calcite form the primary chemical constituents of the accumulated dust. Furthermore, thermal evaluations demonstrate that deposited dust particles retain thermal energy as temperatures rise between 6 and 85 degrees Celsius, while also altering thermal conductivity and diffusivity. These physical, optical, and chemical analyses detail how unchecked natural soiling alters both light absorption and the thermal behaviour of photovoltaic arrays.
Dust accumulation poses a direct threat to solar energy yields in sunny, arid, and Mediterranean regions. By quantifying the exact electrical power losses alongside the optical and thermal traits of local dust, operators can better anticipate performance drops. Understanding that dust acts as both a light barrier and a thermal reservoir helps explain why uncleaned solar panels lose significant generating capacity under real outdoor conditions.
This research represents applied testing of solar panels under real environmental conditions. The findings provide empirical baseline data that could assist photovoltaic plant operators and maintenance providers in designing targeted cleaning schedules or developing anti-soiling coatings suited to Mediterranean dust compositions rich in silica and calcite. However, the abstract reports diagnostic experimental measurements rather than a commercial product or deployment-ready cleaning technology.
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This study is an experimental investigation of the effect of natural dust deposition on the performance of three (PV) systems installed on the rooftop of the faculty of science and technology in the city of Mohammedia of Morocco in a Mediterranean climate. To determine the local soiling losses in solar PV systems electrical performance analysis using the IEC60891 procedure and the optical, morphological, and thermal properties of the dust deposited on PV systems is assessed. The results show that power production and maximum current of PV modules decrease by 7.4% to 12.35% and 11.6% to 18%, respectively, after allowing dust to accumulate naturally without any scheduled cleaning. In addition, the optical transmittance of the glass samples is reduced by 75% to 5%, from transmittance/absorbance data obtained with a UV-Visible spectrophotometer. The elemental and chemical analysis results by XRF, XRD, and FT-IR indicate that silica and calcite are the predominant components of the dust sample. Differential scanning calorimetry is used to assess the thermal properties (DSC) in a temperature range of 6–85 °C and the Laser-Flash method (LFA) for measuring thermal conductivity and diffusivity in the temperature range of 25 °C to 70 °C. It has been established that, for a given mass, dust particles can accumulate energy in thermal form when the temperature rises.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.egyr.2024.01.078
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