Optical Microscopy Study of Soiling on Photovoltaic Glass: Evaluation of Mitigation Strategies
The natural soiling of photovoltaic cover glass has recently been shown to include both inorganic and organic particulate matter. Under favorable growth conditions, the latter can lead to the growth of dense colonies of filamentous fungi, potentially leading to measurable performance losses over time. Herein, we report on a field study where glass coupon samples were deployed in soiling-prone locations, focusing on Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Mumbai (India). For each site location, clear differences in the soiling were observed. The samples from Mumbai were contaminated with an abundance of filamentous fungi whereas the samples from Dubai had primarily inorganic contamination. The effectiveness of soiling mitigation strategies, including cleaning techniques and glass coatings, are discussed in detail.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1507658
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP-5900-71797
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Presented at the 2018 IEEE 7th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC), 10-15 June 2018, Waikoloa Village, Hawaii
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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