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

Power generation of photovoltaic (PV) modules undergoes harsh environmental conditions. Accumulation of dust on the surface of PV modules, also referred to as soiling is one of the important factors. It limits the penetration of solar energy onto the solar cell and reduces the energy output. This article aims to study the detrimental effects of soiling losses on solar modules in a real-time industrial environment. The role of hydrophobic nanocoatings in mitigating these losses is also investigated. Reduction in accumulation of dust, both in terms of the particle composition and deposition densities, shows significant improvements in reducing the transmission loss. In this article, we tested and validated the performance of hydrophobic nanocoatings on PV modules, at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited campus in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India [10°48'18''N,78°41'8''E]. Application of the nanocoating demonstrated a significant increase in power generation under various climatic conditions in the location.