Solar Panel Soiling
Project Members
- Brittany Nixon (Graduate Student, Mechanical Engineering, CU)
- Michael Deceglie (Researcher, PV Reliability, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- Michael Hannigan (Professor, Mechanical Engineering, CU)
- Marina Vance (Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, CU)
Project Summary
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels get dirty, or soiled, which decreases the PV energy yield. PV soiling leads to around $2 billion U.S. dollars lost annually worldwide [1]. In this research, we are exploring the ability to predict PV soiling performance using local air quality data. This research could contribute to solar developer’s creating more accurate energy yield and finance models.
Project Funding
Alliance Partner University Program (APUP) through NREL
Highlighted Publications
Soiling and cleaning: Initial observations from 5-year photovoltaic glass coating durability study
Evaluation of Soiling and Potential Mitigation Approaches on Photovoltaic Glass