Experimental investigations on the performance of solar photovoltaic system for different industrial weather conditions with dust accumulation

Abstract The objective of this paper is to identify sources of power loss by studying effect of dust accumulation on the performance of solar PV array and improve the performance of the overall system by accurate implementation of protocol prepared for smooth operation and maintenance activities. In this study, two sites are taken under analysis to evaluate the comparative performance considering the common variables. The study comprises advanced operational methodologies such as using Anti-soiling coating, IR thermography, and also checking the electrical characteristics of photovoltaic as performance indicators. It was found that the modules covered with coating showed more effectiveness in terms of the power delivered than non-coated modules for given site conditions. Results showed that the instantaneous energy difference between coated and non-coated modules was 3.5 kW at its peak when installed capacity of each set of modules under analysis is of about 39 kW. This increased power throughput by coated modules is due to better current performance and this can only be observed during the period of high irradiance between 10 pm and 3 pm. The difference in energy generated by coated and non-coated modules over a given period is about 23.6 units/kW/month observed for block under study. Installation of such anti-soiling coating will not only give better yield but also mitigate cleaning solution requirement.