Assessing Environmental Dynamics and Angular Influence on PV Soiling: Employing ANFIS to Mitigate Power Losses

Zahraa M. Rashak, Kadhim H. Hassan, Mustafa Al-Fartoos (), Yusuf Chanchangi, Mohammad Hadi Mohammadi and Asif Ali Tahir
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Zahraa M. Rashak: Department of Electrical Engineering Techniques, Basrah Engineering Technical College, Southern Technical University, Basrah 61001, Iraq
Kadhim H. Hassan: Department of Electrical Engineering Techniques, Basrah Engineering Technical College, Southern Technical University, Basrah 61001, Iraq
Mustafa Al-Fartoos: Solar Energy Research Group, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Department of Engineering, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Yusuf Chanchangi: Solar Energy Research Group, Environment and Sustainability Institute, Department of Engineering, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Mohammad Hadi Mohammadi: Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
Asif Ali Tahir: Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-22

Abstract: The performance of solar photovoltaic systems is impacted by dust accumulation, raising maintenance concerns and discouraging wider adoption to accelerate decarbonization pathways. This research investigates the influence of environmental dynamics on dust accumulation based on several locations, considering weather conditions, seasonality, and angular installation variations, over a three-month period. Low-iron glass coupons were employed to collect on-site soiling from four different locations: agricultural, residential, industrial, and desert. The samples collected were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineralogy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) for elemental analysis, spectrophotometry for optical properties, and I–V tracing for efficiency analysis. The data were processed using ANFIS techniques to extract the maximum power point (MPP) and reduce the power losses. The results showed significant differences in the dust properties across the sites, influenced by the topography, weather conditions, and human activity. The measurements revealed a decrease in transmittance of up to 17.98%, resulting in power losses of up to 22.66% after three months. The findings highlight the necessity for tailored maintenance strategies to mitigate the impact of human activities and site-specific factors on performance. This could be employed in developing predictive models providing valuable insights for sustaining solar energy systems.

Keywords: soiling; dust accumulation; soiling properties; transmittance; PV power; tilt PV; Basra; Iraq; maximum power point (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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