Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation

The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) systems underscores the need to understand environmental factors affecting their performance, degradation, and economic viability. This study comprehensively reviews 175 articles, classifying environmental factors such as atmospheric deposits (dust, sea salt,...

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Main Author: Edgar Hernando Sepúlveda-Oviedo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Energy Strategy Reviews
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X25000458
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author Edgar Hernando Sepúlveda-Oviedo
author_facet Edgar Hernando Sepúlveda-Oviedo
author_sort Edgar Hernando Sepúlveda-Oviedo
collection DOAJ
description The rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) systems underscores the need to understand environmental factors affecting their performance, degradation, and economic viability. This study comprehensively reviews 175 articles, classifying environmental factors such as atmospheric deposits (dust, sea salt, pollen), meteorological conditions (wind, temperature, humidity, rainfall, snowfall, hailstorms), shading, and solar irradiation variability. A novel multilevel classification of degradation modes is introduced, identifying failure mechanisms and their impacts. Key findings reveal performance losses of up to 60%–70% due to combined factors, while mitigation strategies, such as wind-induced cooling, can improve power output by 14.25%, and snow accumulation results in up to 12% annual energy losses. Performance metrics like Performance Loss Rate (PLR) and Degradation Rate (DR) are evaluated to quantify long-term impacts, with economic implications including potential revenue losses and maintenance costs. For instance, addressing dust accumulation in arid regions could save 20%–30% in annual cleaning costs while reducing energy inefficiencies. Recent advancements in AI-driven predictive maintenance are highlighted as pivotal for optimizing system performance and minimizing costs. This integrated analysis provides actionable insights for researchers, engineers, and policymakers, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to enhance PV resilience and economic sustainability. By addressing the interaction of environmental factors and introducing standardized metrics, this study fills critical research gaps, offering a roadmap for improving PV system reliability, reducing operational costs, and supporting the transition to sustainable energy under diverse environmental conditions.
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spelling doaj-art-e1264da6a16240e5a824a24c341fd75c2025-08-20T02:05:12ZengElsevierEnergy Strategy Reviews2211-467X2025-05-015910168210.1016/j.esr.2025.101682Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradationEdgar Hernando Sepúlveda-Oviedo0LAAS-CNRS, Université Fédérale de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, Toulouse, 31031, FranceThe rapid expansion of photovoltaic (PV) systems underscores the need to understand environmental factors affecting their performance, degradation, and economic viability. This study comprehensively reviews 175 articles, classifying environmental factors such as atmospheric deposits (dust, sea salt, pollen), meteorological conditions (wind, temperature, humidity, rainfall, snowfall, hailstorms), shading, and solar irradiation variability. A novel multilevel classification of degradation modes is introduced, identifying failure mechanisms and their impacts. Key findings reveal performance losses of up to 60%–70% due to combined factors, while mitigation strategies, such as wind-induced cooling, can improve power output by 14.25%, and snow accumulation results in up to 12% annual energy losses. Performance metrics like Performance Loss Rate (PLR) and Degradation Rate (DR) are evaluated to quantify long-term impacts, with economic implications including potential revenue losses and maintenance costs. For instance, addressing dust accumulation in arid regions could save 20%–30% in annual cleaning costs while reducing energy inefficiencies. Recent advancements in AI-driven predictive maintenance are highlighted as pivotal for optimizing system performance and minimizing costs. This integrated analysis provides actionable insights for researchers, engineers, and policymakers, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies to enhance PV resilience and economic sustainability. By addressing the interaction of environmental factors and introducing standardized metrics, this study fills critical research gaps, offering a roadmap for improving PV system reliability, reducing operational costs, and supporting the transition to sustainable energy under diverse environmental conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X25000458Photovoltaic (PV)Performance evaluationDegradationEfficiencyEnvironmental factors
spellingShingle Edgar Hernando Sepúlveda-Oviedo
Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
Energy Strategy Reviews
Photovoltaic (PV)
Performance evaluation
Degradation
Efficiency
Environmental factors
title Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
title_full Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
title_fullStr Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
title_full_unstemmed Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
title_short Impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
title_sort impact of environmental factors on photovoltaic system performance degradation
topic Photovoltaic (PV)
Performance evaluation
Degradation
Efficiency
Environmental factors
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211467X25000458
work_keys_str_mv AT edgarhernandosepulvedaoviedo impactofenvironmentalfactorsonphotovoltaicsystemperformancedegradation