Review of Cleaning Methods for Solar Cell Array

Abstract

With the fossil fuels in the verge of exhaustion, the renewable sources are being seen as the prospective potentials for energy, the solar photo voltaic technology is one such source that can look up. One of the problems in installing solar energy is pollution/dust and reduces the efficiency of the photovoltaic cell and major power loss when unwanted obstructions cover the surface of the panels. The obstruction turns the shaded cell into a resistor, causing it to heat up and consume extra power. There is urgency in improving the efficiency of solar power generation, to address this issue, we have discussed about self-cleaning solar panel, and different types of mechanical cleaning technology for solar panels in this paper.

A transparent electrode material such as indium tin oxide delivers an alternating current to the top surface of the panel. As it swings between being positively and negatively charged, it creates an electric field that repels charged particles/dust.

A fully automated, simple mechanical design use a rotating brush made up of soft microfiber in conjunction with air blowers which will remove all dust without water and without scratching.

A nano-coating with hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties for photo voltaic panels, the coating’s effect stops dust and bird faeces from sticking to PV panels, keeping them clean, maintaining their efficiency.