NATURAL AIR POLLUTION DEPOSITION IMPACT ON THE EFFICIENCY OF PV PANELS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Photovoltaic (PV) generators are currently being used in various sectors all over the world. During the last years, there is an increasing interest in residential PV applications met not only in isolated but even in urban areas (e.g. buildings, street lighting etc.), where the unsustainable patterns of transport, energy production and land-use comprise the root cause of severe atmospheric pollution. In this context, the current study experimentally investigates the effects of the Total Suspended Particles (TSPs) accumulation on the surface of PV-panels operating in urban areas. Considering that the dust effects are site-specific, an attempt is made to determine the influence of dust in the aggravated environment of the Greek capital, Athens. Specifically, the performance of two identical PV-panel pairs is compared, after the exposure of one of them to natural air pollution, over a certain time period. A systematic series of experimental measurements under variable ambient conditions is conducted in order to indicate any differences between the power output and the efficiency of the panels. According to the results obtained, the presence of dust considerably deteriorates the PV-panels’ performance (i.e. 0.4% efficiency reduction in absolute terms), even within a short period of panels’ outdoor exposure (i.e. one month) without cleaning.

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