Review on dust deposition and cleaning methods for solar PV modules

Abstract

Dust accumulation significantly affects the solar PV(Photovoltaic) performance, resulting in a considerable decrease in output power, which can be reduced by 40% with the dust of 4 g/m2. Understanding the dust deposition characteristics of PV modules can provide theoretical support for selecting dust cleaning methods and formulating cleaning strategies. This paper introduced the factors affecting dust accumulation and presented the research status of dust deposition mechanisms. Moreover, the dust cleaning methods were discussed and compared. In future research, a comprehensive particle deposition model including surface energy and other factors could be established to explore the dust accumulation mechanism. Additionally, investigating the particle deposition condition to determine the deposition of particles is beneficial to understanding the dust accumulation characteristics and predicting the dust accumulation amount. Compared with mechanical cleaning methods, the cleaning effect of electrostatic (cleaning efficiency can reach 90%), coating, and acoustic wave methods is superior. If the three methods can be combined, using an electrostatic or coating method to remove small particles and acoustic waves to remove large particles is a promising approach.