Work

Influence of Manual Cleaning on the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Modules

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Our study investigates soiling effects on photovoltaic (PV) modules operating temperature (Tm) in an urban PV plant in Brazil. Our experiments were carried out over an 18-month period under different environmental conditions and manual cleaning intervals varying between 7 and 35 days. Tmmeasurements were recorded at the center and edges of both clean and dirty modules. The results indicate that clean modules present slightly higher Tmvalues than dirty ones, with a statistically significant difference confirmed by the application of the t-test, but without substantial impact on the plant operation. Furthermore, as the no-cleaning interval increases, the thermal gradient between the center and the inferior edge tends to reduce, while the gradient between the superior and inferior edges exhibits nonlinear behavior, suggesting distinct phases of soiling deposition. This research contributes to understanding soiling influence on PV module thermal behavior, with implications for optimizing PV efficiency in urban environments..

Source: IEEE Access

DOI: 10.1109/access.2025.3570217

Authors: José Janiere S. de Souza, Leticia O. Santos, Paulo C. M. Carvalho

Institution: Universidade Federal do Ceará

Language: English

Topic: Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Systems

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,075