Soil Impact on Photovoltaic Performance: A Laboratory-based Investigation

The reduction in power production due to dust deposition on the solar module surface is a significant issue that deserves much greater attention in the academic literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the performance loss of crystalline photovoltaic modules caused by natural and artificial dust deposition. Dust is made up of powdered sand grains and particles of various substances. Dust comes from a variety of sources. Dust in the atmosphere is an aerosol, and it can affect climate change in large amounts. Accumulation of airborne particles on photovoltaic cells may reduce the transparency of solar cell glazing, resulting in a considerable reduction in photovoltaic module solar conversion efficiency. Dust deposition is influenced by the module's tilt angle, exposure time, site climatic factors, wind movement, and dust characteristics. This study provides a brief overview of the power yield losses induced by soil accumulation on solar modules, as well as the findings of laboratory experiments. Soil samples were gathered from both natural and artificial dust depositions.