Quantifying the Impact of Soiling and Thermal Stress on Rooftop PV Performance: Seasonal Analysis from an Industrial Urban Region in Türkiye

Okan Uykan, Güray Çelik and Aşkın Birgül ()
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Okan Uykan: Faculty of Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Bursa Uludag University, 16059 Nilufer, Bursa, Turkey
Güray Çelik: Faculty of Engineering, Department of Environmental Engineering, Bursa Uludag University, 16059 Nilufer, Bursa, Turkey
Aşkın Birgül: Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Environmental Engineering, Bursa Technical University, 16310 Yıldırım, Bursa, Turkey

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-25

Abstract: This study presents a novel framework to assess the combined impact of soiling and thermal effects on rooftop PV systems through multi-seasonal, multi-site field campaigns in an industrial-urban environment. This work addresses key research gaps by providing a high-resolution, site-specific analysis that captures the synergistic effect of particulate accumulation and thermal stress on PV performance in an industrial-urban environment—a setting distinct from the well-studied arid climates. The study further bridges a gap by employing controlled pre- and post-cleaning performance tests across multiple sites to isolate and quantify soiling losses, offering insights crucial for developing targeted maintenance strategies in pollution-prone urban areas. Unlike previous work, it integrates gravimetric soiling measurements with high-resolution electrical (I–V), thermal, and environmental monitoring, complemented by PVSYST simulation benchmarking. Field data were collected from five rooftop plants in Bursa, Türkiye, during summer and winter, capturing seasonal variations in particulate deposition, module temperature, and PV output, alongside irradiance, wind speed, and airborne particulates. Soiling nearly doubled in winter (0.098 g/m 2 ) compared to summer (0.051 g/m 2 ), but lower winter temperatures (mean 19.8 °C) partially offset performance losses seen under hot summer conditions (mean 42.1 °C). Isc correlated negatively with both soiling (r = −0.68) and temperature (r = −0.72), with regression analysis showing soiling as the dominant factor (R 2 = 0.71). Energy yield analysis revealed that high summer irradiance did not always increase output due to thermal losses, while winter often yielded comparable or higher energy. Soiling-induced losses ranged 5–17%, with SPP-2 worst affected in winter, and seasonal PR declines averaged 10.8%. The results highlight the need for integrated strategies combining cleaning, thermal management, and environmental monitoring to maintain PV efficiency in particulate-prone regions, offering practical guidance for operators and supporting renewable energy goals in challenging environments.

Keywords: photovoltaic system performance; soiling effect; rooftop solar PV; seasonal variation; performance ratio (PR); soiling ratio (SR) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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