Abstract:
The efficiency and performance of photovoltaic modules are greatly impacted by dust
accumulation and defects appearing in PV modules. Existing studies primarily focus on the
effect of dust on general photovoltaic performance, neglecting the interactions with pre existing snail trails. The current research presents a comprehensive analysis that
investigates the dust accumulation impact on the performance of snail trails affected
photovoltaic modules. The investigation utilizes an experimental setup under outdoor
operating conditions, encompassing indoor and outdoor tests incorporating thermal
imaging, IV curve tracing, and EL imaging. Subsequently, a chemical analysis of
accumulated dust is conducted. These testing/material characterization methods were used
to evaluate electrical and thermal parameters including the photovoltaic modules’ surface
temperature. The study focuses on three types of modules, clean serves as a reference
module (PV-R), normal unclean (PV-N), and snail trail-affected unclean PV module (PV S). The study meticulously quantifies the effect of accumulated dust on key performance
indicators such as output power, V, and I, compared to the clean module (PV-R). The (PV N) module exhibits reductions of 17.7% in current, 3.91% in voltage, and 18.15% in power
output. The (PV-S) module experienced a decrease of 7.4% in current, 7.55% in voltage,
and 14.87% in power output under the dust deposition density of 6.984 g/m² having a mean
particle size of 2.2279 μm. Furthermore, the thermal effect of dust accumulation was also
considered. The front and rare surface temperatures of the (PV-S) module were 2.28 and
4.91 times greater than the (PV-N) modules. The dust sample’s chemical analysis revealed
a composition predominately comprising oxygen, followed by silica, carbon, aluminum,
and iron. The UV-viz spectroscopy showed that the dust deposition reduced the
transmittance of glass by 20%, which indicates a potential adverse impact on the PV
module’s efficiency. These findings provide a significant understanding of the detrimental
impacts of dust accumulation on photo voltaic modules, highlighting the need for regular
maintenance and cleaning to ensure optimal performance.
