Effect of Soiling on Photovoltaic Modules and Its Mitigation Using Hydrophobic Nanocoatings

Effects of nanocoatings on the temperature-dependent cell parameters and power generation of photovoltaic panels

“…Solar irradiance, along with the temperature of the location, also affects the power generation (Ehsan et al 2021 ). Irradiance and atmospheric temperatures are also monitored on all days, along with the load voltage, load current and power generation of the uncoated and coated panels, “A”, “B”, and “C”.…”

“…Nearly 2 °C reduction in temperature due to the nanocoating will also extend the life of 45,388 modules by approximately 4 years (Dupré et al 2017 ). While these anticipated savings may seem insignificant, the coating application also provides an added advantage by improving power generation due to the mitigation of soiling losses (Ehsan et al 2021 ). With a 6.11% anticipated power generation improvement, both plants generate an additional 1,483,903 kWh (873,027 kWh in 2019 and 610,876 kWh in 2020) under the same operating conditions.…”

“…Since Tiruchirappalli is hot and dry for nearly 8 months in a year, hydrophilic nanocoatings are not employed in this work. All the available superhydrophobic nanocoatings are subjected to various characterization tests provided by Ehsan et al ( 2021 ) to determine the optimal coating solution. Three such samples, denoted as “A”, “B” and “C”, are chosen for further studies.…”

“…It can be concluded that the nanocoatings, irrespective of their composition, result in better cell operating temperatures for the solar panels. Effect on voltage, current, and power generation Solar irradiance, along with the temperature of the location, also affects the power generation (Ehsan et al 2021). Irradiance and atmospheric temperatures are also monitored on all days, along with the load voltage, load current and power generation of the uncoated and coated panels, "A", "B", and "C".…”

“…While both coatings lead to improved cell efficiency and an increase in overall power generation, there is a lack of conclusive studies on the effects of self-cleaning (or superhydrophobic) coatings on module operating temperatures and power generation. Ehsan et al ( 2021 ) conducted detailed research on the impact of superhydrophobic coatings in the mitigation of soiling. They compared various coating formulations, provided a detailed methodology for selecting an appropriate solution and demonstrated nearly 11% improvement in power generation.…”