IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v15y2022i21p8033-d956610.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Soiling on PV Module Performance in Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Hassan Z. Al Garni

    (Department of Electrical Engineering, Jubail Industrial College, Al Jubail 31961, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment is rapidly expanding around the world. However, the soiling factor has an impact on its performance. Saudi Arabia has high solar irradiation and plans to diversify its energy mix for electricity generation by deploying more solar PV across the country. However, it is located in an arid and desert environment, making it a challenging project due to dust accumulation on solar modules. The soiling and PV performance in Saudi Arabia are examined in this paper. Furthermore, it highlights several mitigation techniques that can be used to maintain PV performance through preventive and restorative measures. Furthermore, this study looks into the size and characterization of dust in Saudi Arabia, as well as the entire life cycle of dust accumulation on PV modules. In this review study, the performance of solar PV systems is evaluated under soiling in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Depending on the local environment and other factors, the PV performance has been reduced by somewhere between 2% and 50%. A single sandstorm reduced the module power output by 20%. As revealed in Dhahran, the PV module was exposed to an outdoor environment and not cleaned for 6 months resulting in a power drop of more than 50%. It is strongly advised to clean PV panels once a month or fewer to maintain a high-performance system. However, in the event of a dust storm, it is advised to clean the system immediately to avoid a major decline in PV performance. The bi-facial PV solar panels technology associated with solar trackers and utilizing robotic cleaning systems have maximized the received solar irradiation and minimized the soiling loss efficiently. The most common elements found in dust particles are primarily derived from the natural desert. It has been noted that the composition and sizes of dust particles depend heavily on the location of the PV module. It is concluded that dust accumulation and cleaning costs are not a significant barrier to large-scale, cost-effective solar PV deployments in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the central region, which is considered a high-suitable region for utility-size PV plants due to many factors. The results of this study are essential for enlightening the PV engineering community, investors, and the research community about how soiling may affect regions with significant solar potential, such as Saudi Arabia, and what potential soiling mitigation strategies may be considered to maintain high-performance solar PV projects.

Suggested Citation

  • Hassan Z. Al Garni, 2022. "The Impact of Soiling on PV Module Performance in Saudi Arabia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-25, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:21:p:8033-:d:956610
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/21/8033/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/21/8033/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gallardo-Saavedra, Sara & Hernández-Callejo, Luis & Duque-Perez, Oscar, 2018. "Technological review of the instrumentation used in aerial thermographic inspection of photovoltaic plants," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 566-579.
    2. Lu, Hao & Lu, Lin & Wang, Yuanhao, 2016. "Numerical investigation of dust pollution on a solar photovoltaic (PV) system mounted on an isolated building," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 27-36.
    3. Al Garni, Hassan Z. & Awasthi, Anjali, 2017. "Solar PV power plant site selection using a GIS-AHP based approach with application in Saudi Arabia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1225-1240.
    4. Rowlands, Ian H. & Kemery, Briana Paige & Beausoleil-Morrison, Ian, 2011. "Optimal solar-PV tilt angle and azimuth: An Ontario (Canada) case-study," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 1397-1409, March.
    5. Adinoyi, Muhammed J. & Said, Syed A.M., 2013. "Effect of dust accumulation on the power outputs of solar photovoltaic modules," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 633-636.
    6. Conceição, Ricardo & González-Aguilar, José & Merrouni, Ahmed Alami & Romero, Manuel, 2022. "Soiling effect in solar energy conversion systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    7. Ilse, Klemens K. & Figgis, Benjamin W. & Naumann, Volker & Hagendorf, Christian & Bagdahn, Jörg, 2018. "Fundamentals of soiling processes on photovoltaic modules," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 239-254.
    8. Chanchangi, Yusuf N. & Ghosh, Aritra & Baig, Hasan & Sundaram, Senthilarasu & Mallick, Tapas K., 2021. "Soiling on PV performance influenced by weather parameters in Northern Nigeria," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 874-892.
    9. Ramaprabha Ramabadran & Badrilal Mathur, 2009. "Effect of Shading on Series and Parallel Connected Solar PV Modules," Modern Applied Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 3(10), pages 1-32, October.
    10. Ullah, Asad & Amin, Amir & Haider, Turab & Saleem, Murtaza & Butt, Nauman Zafar, 2020. "Investigation of soiling effects, dust chemistry and optimum cleaning schedule for PV modules in Lahore, Pakistan," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 456-468.
    11. Hepbasli, Arif & Alsuhaibani, Zeyad, 2011. "A key review on present status and future directions of solar energy studies and applications in Saudi Arabia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 5021-5050.
    12. Sarver, Travis & Al-Qaraghuli, Ali & Kazmerski, Lawrence L., 2013. "A comprehensive review of the impact of dust on the use of solar energy: History, investigations, results, literature, and mitigation approaches," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 698-733.
    13. Dias, César Luiz de Azevedo & Castelo Branco, David Alves & Arouca, Maurício Cardoso & Loureiro Legey, Luiz Fernando, 2017. "Performance estimation of photovoltaic technologies in Brazil," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 114(PB), pages 367-375.
    14. Said, S.A.M., 1990. "Effects of dust accumulation on performances of thermal and photovoltaic flat-plate collectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 73-84.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. AlZahrani, Khaled S., 2023. "Experimental investigation of soiling impact on PV module performance in Yanbu Al Sinaiyah, Saudi Arabia," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    2. Amjad Ali, 2023. "Transforming Saudi Arabia’s Energy Landscape towards a Sustainable Future: Progress of Solar Photovoltaic Energy Deployment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-21, May.
    3. Gowtham Vedulla & Anbazhagan Geetha & Ramalingam Senthil, 2022. "Review of Strategies to Mitigate Dust Deposition on Solar Photovoltaic Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-28, December.
    4. Sai Nikhil Vodapally & Mohd Hasan Ali, 2022. "A Comprehensive Review of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies, Architecture, and Its Applications to Improved Efficiency," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Conceição, Ricardo & González-Aguilar, José & Merrouni, Ahmed Alami & Romero, Manuel, 2022. "Soiling effect in solar energy conversion systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    2. Alkharusi, Tarik & Huang, Gan & Markides, Christos N., 2024. "Characterisation of soiling on glass surfaces and their impact on optical and solar photovoltaic performance," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    3. Yao, Wanxiang & Kong, Xiangru & Xu, Ai & Xu, Puyan & Wang, Yan & Gao, Weijun, 2023. "New models for the influence of rainwater on the performance of photovoltaic modules under different rainfall conditions," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    4. You, Siming & Lim, Yu Jie & Dai, Yanjun & Wang, Chi-Hwa, 2018. "On the temporal modelling of solar photovoltaic soiling: Energy and economic impacts in seven cities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C), pages 1136-1146.
    5. Karim Menoufi, 2017. "Dust Accumulation on the Surface of Photovoltaic Panels: Introducing the Photovoltaic Soiling Index (PVSI)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-12, June.
    6. Lu, Hao & Zhao, Wenjun, 2019. "CFD prediction of dust pollution and impact on an isolated ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 829-840.
    7. Isaacs, Stewart & Kalashnikova, Olga & Garay, Michael J. & van Donkelaar, Aaron & Hammer, Melanie S. & Lee, Huikyo & Wood, Danielle, 2023. "Dust soiling effects on decentralized solar in West Africa," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    8. Song, Zhe & Liu, Jia & Yang, Hongxing, 2021. "Air pollution and soiling implications for solar photovoltaic power generation: A comprehensive review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    9. Chiteka, Kudzanayi & Arora, Rajesh & Sridhara, S.N. & Enweremadu, C.C., 2021. "Optimizing wind barrier and photovoltaic array configuration in soiling mitigation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 225-236.
    10. Cherupurakal, Nizamudeen & Mozumder, Mohammad Sayem & Mourad, Abdel- Hamid I. & Lalwani, Shubra, 2021. "Recent advances in superhydrophobic polymers for antireflective self-cleaning solar panels," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    11. Mithhu, Md. Mahamudul Hasan & Rima, Tahmina Ahmed & Khan, M. Ryyan, 2021. "Global analysis of optimal cleaning cycle and profit of soiling affected solar panels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    12. Simone Pedrazzi & Giulio Allesina & Alberto Muscio, 2018. "Are Nano-Composite Coatings the Key for Photovoltaic Panel Self-Maintenance: An Experimental Evaluation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Dahlioui, Dounia & El Hamdani, Fayrouz & Djdiaa, Abdelali & Martínez López, Teodoro & Bouzekri, Hicham, 2023. "Assessment of dry and wet cleaning of aluminum mirrors toward water consumption reduction," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 248-255.
    14. Adak, Deepanjana & Bhattacharyya, Raghunath & Barshilia, Harish C., 2022. "A state-of-the-art review on the multifunctional self-cleaning nanostructured coatings for PV panels, CSP mirrors and related solar devices," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    15. Chanchangi, Yusuf N. & Ghosh, Aritra & Sundaram, Senthilarasu & Mallick, Tapas K., 2020. "Dust and PV Performance in Nigeria: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    16. Ullah, Asad & Amin, Amir & Haider, Turab & Saleem, Murtaza & Butt, Nauman Zafar, 2020. "Investigation of soiling effects, dust chemistry and optimum cleaning schedule for PV modules in Lahore, Pakistan," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 456-468.
    17. Dhaouadi, Rached & Al-Othman, Amani & Aidan, Ahmed A. & Tawalbeh, Muhammad & Zannerni, Rawan, 2021. "A characterization study for the properties of dust particles collected on photovoltaic (PV) panels in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 171(C), pages 133-140.
    18. Jamil, Wan Juzaili & Abdul Rahman, Hasimah & Shaari, Sulaiman & Salam, Zainal, 2017. "Performance degradation of photovoltaic power system: Review on mitigation methods," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 876-891.
    19. Saheli Sengupta & Aritra Ghosh & Tapas K. Mallick & Chandan Kumar Chanda & Hiranmay Saha & Indrajit Bose & Joydip Jana & Samarjit Sengupta, 2021. "Model Based Generation Prediction of SPV Power Plant Due to Weather Stressed Soiling," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-16, August.
    20. Lu, Hao & Zhao, Wenjun, 2018. "Effects of particle sizes and tilt angles on dust deposition characteristics of a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 514-526.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:15:y:2022:i:21:p:8033-:d:956610. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.