Dust On Solar Panels

And that s just when they re dirty.

Dust on solar panels.

Flat tilt array designs also trap more dust. If a dust storm has covered your panels in dirt or pelicans have had a poop party on your roof then it s a pretty good idea. In most climates if there is dust or debris on the panels and their energy output is registered 5 less than other times the next rain will wash away the debris and the solar panels will return to their optimal efficiency. For instance dirt is worse in desert areas like the american southwest where the air is dry and dusty.

But most of the time solar panel cleaning is not worth it. According to experts environmental pollution could reduce the amount of light that gets absorbed by your solar panels even if the system is relatively new. Dust is generated from many sources such as pollution by wind pedestrian volcanic eruptions and vehicular movements among many others. On average when your solar panels get dirty expect a 5 or less change in output.

The self dusting solar panels are based on technology developed for another dry and dusty environment mars. Meanwhile air pollution is also a culprit. Dust adhesion on solar panels is a major challenge to energy harvesting through photovoltaic cells and solar thermal collectors. A new whitepaperby solar measurement company kipp zonen explores the issue of dirty panels in terms of economic geographic and technical factors.

Dust is a thin layer that covers the surface of the solar array and the typical dust particles are less than 10 µm in diameter but this depends on the location and its environment. Research demonstrated a decrease in energy collected and produced when panels were blocked by dirt dust and debris as much as 25 difference in some cases. Anything that blocks out the sun will reduce the amount of energy your panels produce bushfire smoke and dust storms can cause elevated particle levels in the atmosphere. Solar panels take in sunlight and material on the panels surface converts sunlight to electrons which become electricity greg explains.

However unless you live somewhere with high amounts of smog dust dirt or sand blowing around solar panel cleaning is generally not necessary. The technology involves placing a transparent electrically sensitive material. New solutions are necessary to maintain maximum collection.