Analysis of the Local Factors that Influence the Cementation of Soil and Effects on PV Generation at the Plataforma Solar Del Desierto De Atacama, Chile

Soza, Douglas Olivares; Trigo, Mauricio; Marzo, Aitor; Ferrada, Pablo; Llanos, Jaime; Araya, Francisco; Polo, Jesús; Alonso-Montesinos, Joaquín; López, Gabriel P.; Gueymard, Christian A.

doi:10.18086/swc.2019.19.08

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Figure 8b shows that the corrected power of the dirty module was not stable, since its level decreased with time. The clear negative trend could be associated with optical loss due to a decrease in the glass transmittance, driven by dust accumulation in the module, confirmed by the trend in Figure 9a [3]. Moreover, one can also observe that while the corrected power had peaks at some day, the (measured) power had valleys at the same time.…”

Section: Electrical Performancesupporting

confidence: 58%

“…Dust deposited on the PV modules reduces the number of photons reaching the solar cells. In other words, soiling reduces the glass capacity to transmit photons, i.e., its transmittance [3][4][5]. Thus, transmittance loss results from the absorption and reflection of the incident light by the deposited module soiling is a world problem and an area of increasing concern in performance and financial return [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In areas with abundant rainfall, this rain helps to naturally clean the PV modules of the dust and dirt accumulated on their surfaces. On the other hand, moisture is known to play an important role in the cementing process, especially if the deposited material is soluble and hygroscopic, which increases the adhesion of the particles to the glass surface, thus, contributing to the cementing process [3,8]. Thus, in coastal areas of deserts, the problem of soiling can be exacerbated by low rainfall, abundance of salts, and high levels of atmospheric humidity, due to proximity to the ocean.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Determination of the Soiling Impact on Photovoltaic Modules at the Coastal Area of the Atacama Desert

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

With an elevation of 1000 m above sea level, once the coastal mountain range is crossed, the Atacama Desert receives the highest levels of solar radiation in the world. Global horizontal irradiations over 2500 kWh/(m2 year) and a cloudiness index below 3% were determined. However, this index rises to 45% in the coastal area, where the influence of the Pacific Ocean exists with a large presence of marine aerosols. It is on the coastal area that residential photovoltaic (PV) applications are concentrated. This work presents a study of the soiling impact on PV modules at the coastline of Atacama Desert. The current–voltage characteristics of two multicrystalline PV modules exposed to outdoor conditions were compared, while one of them was cleaned daily. Asymptotic behavior was observed in the accumulated surface dust density, over 6 months. This behavior was explained by the fact that as the glass became soiled, the probability of glass-to-particle interaction decreased in favor of a more likely particle-to-particle interaction. The surface dust density was at most 0.17 mg·cm−2 per month. Dust on the module led to current losses in the range of 19% after four months, which in turn produced a reduction of 13.5%rel in efficiency.

show abstract

Section: Electrical Performancesupporting

confidence: 58%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Determination of the Soiling Impact on Photovoltaic Modules at the Coastal Area of the Atacama Desert

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These results confirm the presence of Gypsum (CaSO 4 *2H2O), as shown in Fig- ure E) and F), material documented in other investigations carried out at the site (ref). This implies that Gypsum (hygroscopic) has the ability to generate dirt crusts that trap different types of compounds (soluble and insoluble), causing the dirt crust to begin to grow as exposure times increase [11].…”

Section: Physiochemistry Of Soilingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Soiling Physicochemistry on Mirrors With CSP Applications at the Plataforma Solar Del Desierto De Atacama, Chile

Olivares,

Marzo,

Llanos

et al. 2023

SolarPACES Conf Proc

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The context of global economic instability and armed conflicts has caused fossil fuels to reach unprecedented levels. In this sense, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology has proven to be an excellent option to diversify the energy matrix dependent on fossil fuels, especially in places where there is a good quality solar resource, such as desert areas. These good qualities can be overshadowed by local phenomena such as soiling that can affect the viability of a project. In this paper, the effect of soiling on CSP mirrors installed in a cold desert climate in the Atacama Desert, Chile, is presented. During the 202 days (continuous) of outdoor exposure, atmospheric parameters such as humidity and temperature, as well as reflectance were evaluated daily. At the end of the experiment, the chemical composition of the material deposited on the mirror surface was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and elemental analysis (EDX). The characterization of the material detected the presence of Gypsum (soluble salt), which was shown to have the ability to cement the deposited material. The atmospheric parameters showed that the relative humidity at the site can exceed 60%, sufficient values to solubilize the Gypsum, producing the cementation process. The reflectance values showed that the effect of the cemented material, for 202 days of exposure, can reach a 47% loss of its reflective capacity. This means that the longer the exposure time, the greater the effect of the cementation and the more energy will be needed to clean the mirrors.

show abstract

“…As PV panels cool down at night and attract morning dew, dust can go through a process called cementation, wherein the soiling is literally cemented onto the panel. Olivares et al [18] analyzed the formation process of cementation, finding dense films after several weeks, depending on the aerosol concentration, humidity, and temperature, which diminished the solar energy transmitted through the cover up to values of about 40%. Although this study was carried out in the Atacama Desert (Chile), many other emplacements for the installation of PV plants which are suitable from the point of view of insolation levels can present similar atmospheric conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of a Low-Cost Multiplexer for the Study of the Impact of Soiling on PV Panel Performance

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Atmospheric factors, such as clouds, wind, dust, or aerosols, play an important role in the power generation of photovoltaic (PV) plants. Among these factors, soiling has been revealed as one of the most relevant causes diminishing the PV yield, mainly in arid zones or deserts. The effect of soiling on the PV performance can be analyzed by means of I–V curves measured simultaneously on two PV panels: one soiled and the other clean. To this end, two I–V tracers, or one I–V tracer along with a multiplexer, are needed. Unfortunately, these options are usually expensive, and only one I–V tracer is typically available at the site of interest. In this work, the design of a low-cost multiplexer is described. The multiplexer is controlled by a low-cost single-board microcontroller manufactured by ArduinoTM, and is capable of managing several pairs of PV panels almost simultaneously. The multiplexer can be installed outdoors, in contrast to many commercial I–V tracers or multiplexers. This advantage allows the soiling effect to be monitored on two PV panels, by means of I–V indoor tracers. I–V curves measured by the low-cost multiplexer are also presented, and preliminary results are analyzed.

show abstract

Analysis of the Local Factors that Influence the Cementation of Soil and Effects on PV Generation at the Plataforma Solar Del Desierto De Atacama, Chile

Cited by 5 publications

References 0 publications

Determination of the Soiling Impact on Photovoltaic Modules at the Coastal Area of the Atacama Desert

Determination of the Soiling Impact on Photovoltaic Modules at the Coastal Area of the Atacama Desert

Impact of Soiling Physicochemistry on Mirrors With CSP Applications at the Plataforma Solar Del Desierto De Atacama, Chile

Design of a Low-Cost Multiplexer for the Study of the Impact of Soiling on PV Panel Performance

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About