Work

Assessment of Soiling Dynamics and Cleaning Efficiency for Photovoltaic Modules Under Different Dust Environments

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Laboratory protocols that predictively reproduce site‐specific soiling dynamics are required to accelerate prefield screening of photovoltaic (PV) materials, coatings, and cleaning strategies. Here we present a novel controlled soiling‐and‐cleaning testbed and a parametrized protocol that reproduces both deposition morphology and humidity‐driven cementation observed in two contrasting environments: a quarry/agricultural site in Southern France and the gypsum‐rich Atacama Desert (PSDA). Using site‐collected dusts and accelerated humidity–temperature cycling, the chamber reproduces field‐observed cementation microstructures and electrical/spectral penalties in ≈1.5 days of testing (vs. ≈1 month outdoor). We quantify how front‐cover coatings, encapsulants, and tilt angle affect spectral transmittance and short‐circuit current ( I SC ) losses, and evaluate cleaning efficiency using robotic brush passes. Key findings of this work are: (i) antireflective antisoiling coatings reduce optical losses substantially, whereas encapsulant choice has a negligible effect on soiling behavior; (ii) darker, mineral‐rich Mediterranean dusts impose larger spectral penalties per unit mass but are easier to remove; (iii) gypsum‐rich Atacama dusts produce lower immediate optical losses but stronger cementation‐driven adhesion; and (iv) a single‐pass robotic cleaning recovers >98% of the I SC losses. The protocol thus enables rapid, site‐tailored evaluation of coatings and cleaning strategies, bridging laboratory and field observations in a reproducible framework.

Source: Solar RRL

DOI: 10.1002/solr.202500792