An output degradation of photovoltaic module by fine particles deposition

One factor that reduces the output of photovoltaic module is direct blocking of light by shadows and by objects such as leaves and airborne dust. The output reduction due to vehicle exhaust and particles in the atmosphere is generally estimated to be about several % [2], but this figure may be affected by differences in areas, which may arise from variations in particle size, color or some other factor. In this study, we investigated the photovoltaic output degradation by the effect of very small particles. In particular, there were examined the effect of particle material and size on the output power. Since SiO₂ and Si are the main components of sand from all areas in the world and SiO₂ makes up over 90 % of sand from ancient deserts, there were investigated effect of SiO₂, Si and SiC particles.

I. Introduction

Photovoltaic generation has potential to greatly reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Solar cells are expected to become dramatically cheaper in the near future due to technological advances such as dye-sensitized and organic thin-film solar cells. Photovoltaic generation systems are being installed worldwide in many different places and under many different conditions. This behavior has resulted in their output powers being reduced for various reasons. In particular, microparticles such as sand blown from deserts can be problematic since there is no effective way to remove particles from the surfaces of photovoltaic modules. In this study, it has been investigated the effect of microparticles on the surface of a solar module on the module output.