The Effect of the Superhydrophobic Film on the Generation Efficiency of Photovoltaic Modules Affected by Salt-Containing Dust Deposition

Dust deposition on the surface of photovoltaic (PV) modules causes undesirable effects, including shadowing and corrosion, which decrease power generation efficiency. A superhydrophobic film comprising nanometric silica modified by fluorosilane was prepared and coated on the surface of sample glasses. Natural dust deposition was simulated using laterite particles with a 25 μm diameter, and the salt was dry-mixed with laterite particles using sodium chloride. In addition, condensation was simulated using a constant temperature and humidity incubator. PV module samples were irradiated by a solar simulator after the aforementioned simulation process, and the properties of the PV modules with different dust and salt contents were measured and analyzed by a solar module tester. The experimental results indicate that salt adversely affected the power generation efficiency of PV modules. And the superhydrophobic film can not only effectively remove the dust on the surface but also improve the power generation efficiency of PV modules.