An automated and cost-efficient method for photovoltaic dust cleaning based on biaxially oriented polyamide coating material

Photovoltaic (PV) systems have been at the forefront of renewable energy technologies. However, they are highly dependent on environmental parameters that affect their performance and longevity. Dust accumulation presents a critical factor in the performance of PV systems, leading to minimum system efficiency under largely dusty conditions. Several cleaning methodologies have been proposed in scientific literature to prevent dust accumulation at the forefront of PV modules. However, most cleaning methodologies are cost-consuming, timeconsuming, complex in implementation, or require huge manpower to implement them. This paper proposes a cost-efficient and automated method for dust accumulation prevention and cleaning based on Biaxially Oriented Polyamide (BOPA) coating material. This transparent thin film is applied on the front surface and integrated based on an automated control scheme, for controlled rotation every 2 weeks, to prevent dust accumulation on the forefront of the PV surface. The performance of the BOPA coating film was experimentally assessed for 45 days, assessing the irradiance and electrical performance of the PV modules. The application of BOPA maintained a PV module electrical efficiency of 12.19%, while the dusty PV module electrical efficiency is reduced to 7.79% at high dust accumulation levels. Moreover, the BOPA material has demonstrated its ability in capturing solar irradiance, without losses for the visible light, hence maintaining an electrical current of 2.15 A, while the dusty PV module loses its electrical current by 40%, maintaining an electrical current of 1.28 A.