Photovoltaic Module Dust Cleaning Techniques

Due to volatility in oil prices, decision-makers are looking forward to using renewable energy sources to fulfill their country’s energy demands. Among the other renewable energy sources solar photovoltaic (PV) is considered as the most attractive one due to its abundant solar potential. Large-scale PV installations have been increasing in recent years, specifically desert areas are considered suitable sites. Apart from the low-efficiency issue of the PV system, other aspects are also affecting the performance of solar PV, specifically environmental aspects, such as, temperature, humidity, and dust are influencing the day to day performance of solar PV systems. In a solar PV system, soiling is one of the major factors caused by the accumulation of dirt and dust on the surface of the PV module, which directly reduces the output of the system. In this chapter, a review of the currently available different types of PV modules and dust mitigation techniques are presented. It would be helpful for academicians and researchers to select appropriate techniques and technology for dust removal from the PV module surface according to their requirements and environmental conditions.