An experimental investigation on the effects of dust accumulation on a photovoltaic panel efficiency utilized near agricultural land

Abstract

Renewable energies can be considered as an appropriate alternative to fossil fuels and solar energy usually utilized via photovoltaic systems and is a popular field of interest due to its wide availability and ease of uses. However, the efficiency of a photovoltaic panel depends on many environmental parameters. In this study, an experimental investigation is designed to trace the effects of dust accumulation on the surface of a photovoltaic panel. This paper focused on the near-farm dust on the panels used for agriculture purposes. Three modes have been considered: clean, dusty, and muddy. Test has been done for different modes and results show the important role of dust accumulation on panel efficiency. The highest efficiency gained for a clean, dusty, and muddy panel was 15.69%, 10.29%, and 5.67%, respectively.