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Pakistani scientists have developed a new cleaning system that not only reduces energy losses caused by dirt, but also increases the performance of photovoltaic modules by reducing their temperature. It could be applied to both residential and commercial photovoltaic systems.
A group of researchers from Pakistans National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has designed a novel solar module cleaning technology that also has a cooling effect on photovoltaic modules.
“The proposed solar panel cleaning system can be effortlessly integrated into both residential and commercial solar photovoltaic installations,” lead author of the research, Adeel Waqas, told pv magazine . “Designed to operate autonomously, the system uses a microcontroller to manage the cleaning process, eliminating the need for manual intervention.”
The cleaning system consists of a 76.2 cm long steel rod that is attached to the top of the solar module. It has eight flat fan nozzles that provide an even flow of water across the front face of the panel using a convex spray pattern. The fan nozzles are placed at a distance of 14 cm from each other and can reach a water flow of 0.49 L/m. To introduce the water into the bar, a 36 W DC water pump is used.
“After cleaning, the used water is collected and filtered with a Whatman filter,” explains Waqas. “This process allows for a water recovery efficiency of 85%, and the filtered water is recycled back into the system reservoir. The water recovery function makes this system especially beneficial for regions with water scarcity.”
The scientists tested their new technique at a NUST experimental facility in Islamabad, Pakistan during January and February for three PV system tilt angles of 23, 33 and 43 degrees, respectively. “Electrical and temperature parameters were constantly monitored for 24 hours, with one-minute intervals between each set of values,” they specified, noting that the systems performance was compared to that of a reference installation without the cleaning technology.
Through their analysis, the academics found that the cleaned PV panel achieved up to 13.74% more current at the set tilt angles compared to the reference panel. They also found that water flowing over the module was able to reduce its operating temperature by up to 0.8ºC compared to the reference setting. "The automated cleaning system, which works for 5 minutes a day with pressurized water through flat fan nozzles, recovers energy losses due to dirt by up to 80%," they added.
According to Waqas, the cost of the solar photovoltaic module with the cleaning system is $65.48, while that of the module without the system is around $35. “After performing the economic analysis, the recovered cost of additional energy after cleaning is $0.0332 per day, resulting in a payback period of 2.51 years in Islamabad for the additional costs of the cleaning system ”, he further explained. “The cost of operating the system is negligible, since it works automatically through an Arduino board; In addition, the economic viability of the proposed system is relatively viable, since the cost of the system is recovered in a short time.”
The new technique was presented in the study “ A building integrated solar PV surface-cleaning setup to optimize the electricity output of PV modules in a polluted atmosphere ”. photovoltaic modules in a polluted atmosphere), recently published in Renewable Energy . |
