Do Functional Coatings Work for Solar Panel Dust Mitigation?

Solar energy is a sustainable and renewable energy source that is rapidly replacing fossil fuels. More than 3% of global energy demand is already met by solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, and this number is only going to increase. However, environmental factors such as weather can significantly impact the efficiency and lifetime of PV modules. In dry and sandy climates, such as the Middle East, the main problem is mitigating the effects of high temperatures and dust. Functional-coating-based, self-cleaning technology is the most effective approach to dust mitigation (DM) in the literature. However, no cost analysis has been done to compare the practicality of such technologies with conventional methods such as manual cleaning and tractor-mounted brush cleaning. In this work, we presented a detailed techno-economic analysis of three different DM approaches using outdoor testing data from installations in Rumah, Saudi Arabia, and Inner Mongolia, China. The results show that a durable superhydrophilic (SPhi) transparent coating is the most economical way to clean solar panels. It results in a 3% increase in annual generated power compared to an uncoated, regularly cleaned solar farm. The return on investment is also only 15 months at a PV electricity-selling price of 0.07 USD/kWh using a standard levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculation.