IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v16y2022i1p155-d1013075.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

SolNet: A Convolutional Neural Network for Detecting Dust on Solar Panels

Author

Listed:
  • Md Saif Hassan Onim

    (Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Zubayar Mahatab Md Sakif

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Adil Ahnaf

    (Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Ahsan Kabir

    (Department of Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering, Military Institute of Science and Technology, Mirpur Cantonment, Dhaka 1216, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Abul Kalam Azad

    (School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, 120 Spencer Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Amanullah Maung Than Oo

    (School of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Rafina Afreen

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Sumaita Tanjim Hridy

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Mahtab Hossain

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Taskeed Jabid

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Md Sawkat Ali

    (Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East West University, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

Electricity production from photovoltaic (PV) systems has accelerated in the last few decades. Numerous environmental factors, particularly the buildup of dust on PV panels have resulted in a significant loss in PV energy output. To detect the dust and thus reduce power loss, several techniques are being researched, including thermal imaging, image processing, sensors, cameras with IoT, machine learning, and deep learning. In this study, a new dataset of images of dusty and clean panels is introduced and applied to the current state-of-the-art (SOTA) classification algorithms. Afterward, a new convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture, SolNet, is proposed that deals specifically with the detection of solar panel dust accumulation. The performance and results of the proposed SolNet and other SOTA algorithms are compared to validate its efficiency and outcomes where SolNet shows a higher accuracy level of 98.2%. Hence, both the dataset and SolNet can be used as benchmarks for future research endeavors. Furthermore, the classes of the dataset can also be expanded for multiclass classification. At the same time, the SolNet model can be fine-tuned by tweaking the hyperparameters for further improvements.

Suggested Citation

  • Md Saif Hassan Onim & Zubayar Mahatab Md Sakif & Adil Ahnaf & Ahsan Kabir & Abul Kalam Azad & Amanullah Maung Than Oo & Rafina Afreen & Sumaita Tanjim Hridy & Mahtab Hossain & Taskeed Jabid & Md Sawka, 2022. "SolNet: A Convolutional Neural Network for Detecting Dust on Solar Panels," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-19, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2022:i:1:p:155-:d:1013075
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/155/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/1/155/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cubukcu, M. & Akanalci, A., 2020. "Real-time inspection and determination methods of faults on photovoltaic power systems by thermal imaging in Turkey," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 147(P1), pages 1231-1238.
    2. Santhakumari, Manju & Sagar, Netramani, 2019. "A review of the environmental factors degrading the performance of silicon wafer-based photovoltaic modules: Failure detection methods and essential mitigation techniques," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 83-100.
    3. Bergmeir, Christoph & Hyndman, Rob J. & Koo, Bonsoo, 2018. "A note on the validity of cross-validation for evaluating autoregressive time series prediction," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 70-83.
    4. Aritra Ghosh, 2020. "Soiling Losses: A Barrier for India’s Energy Security Dependency from Photovoltaic Power," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, May.
    5. Jabar H. Yousif & Hussein A. Kazem & Haitham Al-Balushi & Khaled Abuhmaidan & Reem Al-Badi, 2022. "Artificial Neural Network Modelling and Experimental Evaluation of Dust and Thermal Energy Impact on Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Photovoltaic Modules," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-17, June.
    6. Ramli, Makbul A.M. & Prasetyono, Eka & Wicaksana, Ragil W. & Windarko, Novie A. & Sedraoui, Khaled & Al-Turki, Yusuf A., 2016. "On the investigation of photovoltaic output power reduction due to dust accumulation and weather conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 836-844.
    7. Fan, Siyuan & Wang, Yu & Cao, Shengxian & Zhao, Bo & Sun, Tianyi & Liu, Peng, 2022. "A deep residual neural network identification method for uneven dust accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) panels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PD).
    8. Ullah, Asad & Imran, Hassan & Maqsood, Zaki & Butt, Nauman Zafar, 2019. "Investigation of optimal tilt angles and effects of soiling on PV energy production in Pakistan," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 830-843.
    9. Oyeniyi A. Alimi & Edson L. Meyer & Olufemi I. Olayiwola, 2022. "Solar Photovoltaic Modules’ Performance Reliability and Degradation Analysis—A Review," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-28, August.
    10. Costa, Suellen C.S. & Diniz, Antonia Sonia A.C. & Kazmerski, Lawrence L., 2018. "Solar energy dust and soiling R&D progress: Literature review update for 2016," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2504-2536.
    11. Mariam Ibrahim & Ahmad Alsheikh & Feras M. Awaysheh & Mohammad Dahman Alshehri, 2022. "Machine Learning Schemes for Anomaly Detection in Solar Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-17, February.
    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. Cruz-Rojas, Tonatiuh & Franco, Jesus Alejandro & Hernandez-Escobedo, Quetzalcoatl & Ruiz-Robles, Dante & Juarez-Lopez, Jose Manuel, 2023. "A novel comparison of image semantic segmentation techniques for detecting dust in photovoltaic panels using machine learning and deep learning," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).

    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. Enaganti, Prasanth K. & Bhattacharjee, Ankur & Ghosh, Aritra & Chanchangi, Yusuf N. & Chakraborty, Chanchal & Mallick, Tapas K. & Goel, Sanket, 2022. "Experimental investigations for dust build-up on low-iron glass exterior and its effects on the performance of solar PV systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PC).
    2. 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).
    3. Aritra Ghosh, 2020. "Soiling Losses: A Barrier for India’s Energy Security Dependency from Photovoltaic Power," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, May.
    4. Fernández-Solas, Álvaro & Micheli, Leonardo & Almonacid, Florencia & Fernández, Eduardo F., 2021. "Optical degradation impact on the spectral performance of photovoltaic technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    5. Tang, Wuqin & Yang, Qiang & Dai, Zhou & Yan, Wenjun, 2024. "Module defect detection and diagnosis for intelligent maintenance of solar photovoltaic plants: Techniques, systems and perspectives," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 297(C).
    6. 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).
    7. 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).
    8. Elias Roumpakias & Tassos Stamatelos, 2020. "Surface Dust and Aerosol Effects on the Performance of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-18, January.
    9. Shaheer Ansari & Afida Ayob & Molla S. Hossain Lipu & Mohamad Hanif Md Saad & Aini Hussain, 2021. "A Review of Monitoring Technologies for Solar PV Systems Using Data Processing Modules and Transmission Protocols: Progress, Challenges and Prospects," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-34, July.
    10. Qi Guo & Bruno Remillard & Anatoliy Swishchuk, 2020. "Multivariate General Compound Point Processes in Limit Order Books," Risks, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-20, September.
    11. Henriques, Irene & Sadorsky, Perry, 2023. "Forecasting rare earth stock prices with machine learning," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    12. Philippe Goulet Coulombe & Maxime Leroux & Dalibor Stevanovic & Stéphane Surprenant, 2022. "How is machine learning useful for macroeconomic forecasting?," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(5), pages 920-964, August.
    13. Hewamalage, Hansika & Bergmeir, Christoph & Bandara, Kasun, 2021. "Recurrent Neural Networks for Time Series Forecasting: Current status and future directions," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 388-427.
    14. Gary S. Anderson & Alena Audzeyeva, 2019. "A Coherent Framework for Predicting Emerging Market Credit Spreads with Support Vector Regression," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2019-074, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    15. 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).
    16. Thomas Despois & Catherine Doz, 2022. "Identifying and interpreting the factors in factor models via sparsity : Different approaches," Working Papers halshs-03626503, HAL.
    17. Costa, Suellen C.S. & Diniz, Antonia Sonia A.C. & Kazmerski, Lawrence L., 2018. "Solar energy dust and soiling R&D progress: Literature review update for 2016," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 82(P3), pages 2504-2536.
    18. Essa Alhamer & Addison Grigsby & Rydge Mulford, 2022. "The Influence of Seasonal Cloud Cover, Ambient Temperature and Seasonal Variations in Daylight Hours on the Optimal PV Panel Tilt Angle in the United States," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-14, October.
    19. Ioannis Kyriakou & Parastoo Mousavi & Jens Perch Nielsen & Michael Scholz, 2021. "Short-Term Exuberance and Long-Term Stability: A Simultaneous Optimization of Stock Return Predictions for Short and Long Horizons," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-19, March.
    20. Richard Schnorrenberger & Aishameriane Schmidt & Guilherme Valle Moura, 2024. "Harnessing Machine Learning for Real-Time Inflation Nowcasting," Working Papers 806, DNB.

    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:16:y:2022:i:1:p:155-:d:1013075. 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.