Efficiency analysis of solar power plants: The impact of temperature, soiling, and panel aging on energy generation

In this study, a rooftop solar power plant with an electrical capacity of 13,890 kWe and 18,361 kWp was modeled using the PVsyst software simulation program. Simulated and experimental data were compared and the difference between simulated and experimental generation data was found to be only 1.55% on an annual basis, demonstrating the accuracy of the modeling approach. In order to further analyze the system’s performance, the impact of temperature, soiling, and panel aging on energy generation was evaluated as detailed. It was observed that soiling-related losses could reach up to 20% if regular cleaning was not performed, leading to an annual energy loss of 4,746 MWh, where generation decreased from 25,064 MWh at 0% soiling loss to 20,318 MWh at 20% soiling loss. Panel aging (degradation) also played a significant role, causing an annual energy generation loss of approximately 0.3% - 1%, reducing the output from 23,936 MWh at 0.3% degradation to 23,232 MWh at 0.6% degradation. Additionally, as panel temperature increased, generation efficiency decreased, with a temperature coefficient drop from -0.35 to -0.65 resulting in an annual generation loss of approximately 1,524 MWh, where output declined from 25,064 MWh to 23,540 MWh. These findings highlight the critical influence of environmental and operational factors on PV power plant performance and emphasize the importance of regular maintenance and optimized design strategies to enhance energy generation efficiency.