Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region

Dust particle accumulation affects outdoor photovoltaic module transmittance of solar cell glazing and thus leads to significant degradation of conversion efficiency owing to lower irradiance reaching the surface. In this study, the sensitivity of the polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module towa...

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Main Authors: Yotham Andrea, Tatiana Pogrebnaya, Baraka Kichonge
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-01-01
Series:International Journal of Photoenergy
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1892148
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author Yotham Andrea
Tatiana Pogrebnaya
Baraka Kichonge
author_facet Yotham Andrea
Tatiana Pogrebnaya
Baraka Kichonge
author_sort Yotham Andrea
collection DOAJ
description Dust particle accumulation affects outdoor photovoltaic module transmittance of solar cell glazing and thus leads to significant degradation of conversion efficiency owing to lower irradiance reaching the surface. In this study, the sensitivity of the polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module towards industrial dust deposition was experimentally investigated under the tropical climatic condition of Arusha, Tanzania. Dust involved in the study came from fertilizer, gypsum, aggregate crusher, and coal mine industries. The experimental measurements were outdoor conducted under 720 W/m2, 800 W/m2, and 900 W/m2 solar irradiances. Results indicated that dust accumulation on the polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module negatively affected output power as well as short-circuit current, however having no significant impact on open-circuit voltage. Maximum module efficiency loss was observed to be 64%, 42%, 30%, and 29% for coal, aggregate, gypsum, and organic fertilizer dust, respectively; hence, coal dust was the most effecting dust among the four. It was also demonstrated that PV module performance deteriorated with temperature rise owing to heat dissipation caused by dust accumulation.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1110-662X
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language English
publishDate 2019-01-01
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series International Journal of Photoenergy
spelling doaj-art-8256ed8571dd4182a6af4cf0796fbde42025-08-20T03:37:57ZengWileyInternational Journal of Photoenergy1110-662X1687-529X2019-01-01201910.1155/2019/18921481892148Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical RegionYotham Andrea0Tatiana Pogrebnaya1Baraka Kichonge2Department of Materials and Energy Science and Engineering (MESE), Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, TanzaniaDepartment of Materials and Energy Science and Engineering (MESE), Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), P.O. Box 447, Arusha, TanzaniaDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Arusha Technical College (ATC), P.O. Box 296, Arusha, TanzaniaDust particle accumulation affects outdoor photovoltaic module transmittance of solar cell glazing and thus leads to significant degradation of conversion efficiency owing to lower irradiance reaching the surface. In this study, the sensitivity of the polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module towards industrial dust deposition was experimentally investigated under the tropical climatic condition of Arusha, Tanzania. Dust involved in the study came from fertilizer, gypsum, aggregate crusher, and coal mine industries. The experimental measurements were outdoor conducted under 720 W/m2, 800 W/m2, and 900 W/m2 solar irradiances. Results indicated that dust accumulation on the polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic module negatively affected output power as well as short-circuit current, however having no significant impact on open-circuit voltage. Maximum module efficiency loss was observed to be 64%, 42%, 30%, and 29% for coal, aggregate, gypsum, and organic fertilizer dust, respectively; hence, coal dust was the most effecting dust among the four. It was also demonstrated that PV module performance deteriorated with temperature rise owing to heat dissipation caused by dust accumulation.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1892148
spellingShingle Yotham Andrea
Tatiana Pogrebnaya
Baraka Kichonge
Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region
International Journal of Photoenergy
title Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region
title_full Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region
title_fullStr Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region
title_short Effect of Industrial Dust Deposition on Photovoltaic Module Performance: Experimental Measurements in the Tropical Region
title_sort effect of industrial dust deposition on photovoltaic module performance experimental measurements in the tropical region
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2019/1892148
work_keys_str_mv AT yothamandrea effectofindustrialdustdepositiononphotovoltaicmoduleperformanceexperimentalmeasurementsinthetropicalregion
AT tatianapogrebnaya effectofindustrialdustdepositiononphotovoltaicmoduleperformanceexperimentalmeasurementsinthetropicalregion
AT barakakichonge effectofindustrialdustdepositiononphotovoltaicmoduleperformanceexperimentalmeasurementsinthetropicalregion