Case Report

Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning Benefits

Amina Ibrahim¹, Sadiku Aminu Sani², Muhammad Ahmad Baballe³*

¹Department of Computer Science, School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic, Nigeria

²Department of Architectural Technology, School of Environmental Studies Gwarzo, Kano State Polytechnic, Nigeria

³Department of Computer Engineering Technology, School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic, Nigeria

Submission: August 02, 2023; Published: September 07, 2023

*Corresponding author: Muhammad Ahmad Baballe, Department of Computer Engineering Technology, School of Technology, Kano State Polytechnic, Kano, Nigeria. Email ID: mbaballe@kanopoly.edu.ng

How to cite this article: Amina Ibrahim, Sadiku Aminu Sani, Muhammad Ahmad Baballe*. Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning Benefits. Adv Biotech & Micro. 2023; 17(3):555965.DOI:10.19080/AIBM.2023.17.555965

Abstract

The cleaning robot makes solar panels more efficient in a number of settings, including solar panels for houses and other applications. Photovoltaics (PV) is a novel technology in the energy sector that transforms solar irradiance—the sun’s radiant energy—directly into electricity. Here, the energy present in the photons that the sun emits is taken by the photovoltaic cells and converted into useful energy. Thanks to PV technology, which has made it feasible to generate clean power and move toward more environmentally friendly energy practices internationally, the energy sector has undergone a fundamental upheaval. However, one of the main problems that affects the energy efficiency of panels is the accumulation of dust. This is a major issue in regions with high levels of air pollution, particularly in Africa. However, maintaining the panels is a critical issue that is frequently disregarded because some of the panels are difficult to access and hazardous. Robots for cleaning solar panels were created as a clever solution that combines cutting-edge technology to navigate and do so quickly and efficiently without the need for manual labor. In order to keep their performance at its best, solar panels are equipped with a variety of instruments for cleaning dust, filth, and other pollutants from their surfaces that are typical in Africa.

Keywords: Automatic Panels Cleaning; Photovoltaics (PV) Panels; Sun; Energy Generation; Dusts Cleaning Robots

Introduction

Since climate change and global warming pose a threat to the future of our planet, it is more important than ever to find environmentally beneficial alternatives to meet our energy needs. The generation of power from solar energy is one of the most effective clean, renewable energy sources. sun panels use sun energy to generate electricity. Solar panels are among the most inexpensive and low-maintenance ways to produce electricity because they don’t have any moving parts. Reference [1] conducted research on solar panel efficiency, which quantifies how much power a solar panel generates in respect to its theoretical maximum efficiency. The study tested a solar panel’s cleanliness and tracking mechanisms in a variety of settings, including fixed and clean, filthy and fixed, dirty and tracking, and clean and tracking. It has been demonstrated that dust collection on the solar panels’ surfaces lowers their efficiency, even with integrated sun-tracking. The increased rate of light transmission boosts the efficiency of the cleaned solar panel [2]. Compared to keeping the solar panel stationary and clean, tracking it can cause an efficiency loss of up to 50%. Large-scale power plants lose megawatts more frequently due to dust buildup on solar panels [3]. A 1% decline in proficiency may have a considerable impact on the Internal Rate of Return (IRR). In contrast, low-level dust buildup might not have a negative effect on small solar plants [4].

In the energy industry, photovoltaics (PV) is a new technology that converts solar irradiance—the radiant energy from the sun—directly into electricity. Here, the photovoltaic cells take the energy contained in the photons emitted by the sun and transform it into usable energy. The energy industry has seen a radical transformation because of PV technology, which has made it possible for the globe to move toward more sustainable energy practices [5,6]. This opened the door for the photovoltaic sector to make tremendous industrial progress in earlier times, and it continues to do so as technology advances. One can observe a significant advancement in technology if they follow the development of laboratory scale models, experimental scale models, and current real-time running power plants in the PV business. In order to solve the issues with energy demand at the load centers themselves and minimize the need for lengthy transmission and distribution, these PV technologies have arisen and become a crucial component of many other sectors. Commercial PV technology development led to the creation of big utilities or multi-megawatt power facilities. Utility solar power plants are currently being developed in large and broad numbers on open spaces, rural and urban structures, and water surfaces. Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and building applied photovoltaics (BAPV), a new type of PV technology, have been developed in recent years in response to improvements in PV technologies pertaining to contemporary infrastructure [5]. A study on various dust-removal methods has been conducted. For instance, [6,7] suggested using a nylon brush with an automated robotic system to remove dust particles from the surface of solar PV panels, while [8] discussed the energy losses brought on by the deposition of dust particles on solar panels. The research conducted by prior researchers revealed a sizable level of power loss [9].

The intensity of power loss worsens when PV-based power generation is used on a big scale. Here, a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) based on a network of ESP8266 node MCUs associated with a set of sensors in various configurations was attempted to be used to develop an automated cleaning system. The results of the experiment were successful enough to be implemented in large industrial-scale solar PV power plants. After a year of solar system installation, the solar PV panel’s efficiency has dropped to 40% [10]. High temperature, panel pitch and orientation [11], deposition of dust, snow, sea salt, and bird droppings [12], among other factors, are blamed. Among these, the buildup of dust and other debris on solar PV panels causes a 50% reduction in system efficiency [13]. By offering a suitable cleaning method, these particles can also be removed from the panel’s surface. A number of research projects were conducted to implement various software-based prototype cleaning techniques. Production was raised by around 35% by using arm controllers [14-21] and gear motor-based cleaning techniques. A microcontroller-based automatic dust cleaning system was created to clean the panel every two hours, increasing efficiency by roughly 1.6% to 2.2% [22–30]. The operational cost is decreased, and total efficiency can be raised by supplying a self-cleaning mechanism using software and hardware [31- 40]. The cleaning mechanism works more efficiently when the accumulated dust on the panel can be identified and fed to it from the simulation. The performance of the PV panel was improved by a dust cleaning mechanism with a panel cooling system [41-44]. The overall system efficiency of solar street light panels with an automatic dust cleaning system that ran during the day and shut off at night was increased [45-48]. The majority of the established or proposed automated cleaning systems were found to be implemented with dry cleaning mechanisms to prevent short circuits and were permitted to run while dust built on the panels in the research investigations previously mentioned.

Despite all of the benefits of solar panels, if impurities like dust, dirt, and dirt are allowed to accumulate, the efficiency of the panels could deteriorate. For solar panels to continue producing power at their peak efficiency, regular cleaning is necessary. Solar panel cleaning by hand is time-consuming and dangerous, though. Therefore, by guaranteeing that the solar panels are kept clean without endangering people, an autonomously operated solar panel cleaning robot could play a significant role in maintaining the effectiveness of solar power production. The cleaning robot contributes to improving the effectiveness of solar panels in a variety of applications, including solar panels in homes and other industries, particularly in harsh areas like Iraq. In this work, a small mobile solar panel cleaner robot is created with the intention of being used in Iraq’s small and medium solar panel plants. The components used in the suggested design are readily available. This robot uses two different types of brushes and DC motors to move. One that is hard for tough dirt and one that is moist and gentle for dusting and polishing. We’ll be using a water tank, a pump, sensors, and high-friction tank track wheels. Its whole construction will consist of a controller circuit incorporated within a metal chassis. The mobile robot will be wirelessly controlled and observed via a smartphone application. The controller, an Arduino Mega, will behave in accordance with the information received and transmitted [49]. Skilancer Solar Cleaning created a water-free Solar Cleaning Robot in 2017 to do away with the cost of water and the accompanying infrastructure, including tanker trucks, storage bins, hoses, and pipelines [50- 51]. Every day, it eliminates 99% of soiling. Three components are combined to ensure soiling is moved downward and off panel rows: controlled airflow over the panel surface, a specific microfibre that removes soiling gently, and gravity [52].

The Solar Cleano robot, created in 2017, also ensured a secure and eco-friendly solar panel cleaning environment. It can also be used to clean solar panels in desert regions with intense temperatures right after sandstorms. The solar plant personnel may remotely check on the robot’s cleaning and operation status via dedicated web and mobile apps [53]. HELIOS, a dronemounted [54] autonomous cleaning robot service that performs fully automated solar panel cleaning, will be unveiled by cleantech startup ART Robotics in 2022. A brush and vacuum are used to clean a small, light robot that navigates on its own utilizing edge detection and accurate location estimate. Additionally, the cleaning robots from the solar panels are both deployed and collected by the Helios Drone [55]. Cleaning the floating solar panels, where hand cleaning is practically impossible, is an essential function of the automatic robotic cleaner. The gear motors and motor driver power the robot, and it also has another motor with a cleaning membrane attached to it so that it can be washed with water. The camera records footage of the solar panels and transmits it to the cloud for storage and use in damage and cleaning analysis [56,57]. The majority of places where solar panels are deployed are dusty. The panel’s surface is covered in dust, which has gathered and blocked the sun’s light. The panel’s ability to generate electricity is reduced. In this case, cleaning solar panels on a regular basis is necessary to maximize solar energy. In this study, a cleaning robot was created to regularly remove dust particles from solar panels.

A rotary brush and water spray are being used by the robot to clean a solar panel. Additionally, added to increase the panel’s efficiency is sun tracking [58,59]. This study proposes a potential method for reducing the impact of dust on a solar PV panel’s surface. In large-scale solar PV power generation, where many solar panels are connected in the form of arrays and each array requires a robot to carry out effective cleaning within the allotted time, a decrease in power output has been identified with an increase in particle deposition. An effective cleaning system in large-scale solar power plants requires autonomous automatic cleaning operation, self-control and monitoring of accumulated dust, as well as good coordination through networking between robots. In order to do the same thing, it is required to pick the appropriate communication technology for real-time wireless networking of solar cleaning robots that function over a broad area while consuming little electricity. Here, a low-power widearea network (LPWAN) based on a network of ESP 8266 Node MCUs associated with a set of sensors was attempted to implement an automated robot cleaning system. The results of this attempt showed promise for implementation in large-scale industrial solar PV power plants [60] (Figure 1).

Benefits of Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning

Increased Energy Production

People frequently consider the money we save by using the sun as a renewable energy source, as well as how solar panels can help the environment by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, when they think of solar panels. The majority of us are unaware that unclean solar panels can’t produce as much energy as they could. An automatic solar panel cleaning system safeguards your investment by ensuring that the solar panels are always clean, which can enhance energy production by up to 30%.

Minimal Maintenance

There is no further work needed after the RST NightWash automated solar cleaning system is installed on a residential or commercial property. Our systems are constructed in order to meet the precise specifications of a specific residential or commercial solar array and to account for seasonal changes. Additionally, because there are no moving parts, it is simple for residential and business owners to benefit from consistently clean panels without worrying about having to fix or replace system components.

Protect Panel Warranty

Unfortunately, some conventional techniques for cleaning solar panels can actually cause more harm than good. While maintaining solar panels clean is crucial for maximizing production, doing so incorrectly might result in damaged panels and voiding warranty coverage. RST NightWash, on the other hand, was created in accordance with all standards and specifications set forth by solar panel manufacturers. Our method employs soft, filtered water to remove limescale buildup and cleans at night to reduce heat stress.

No Personal Injury Risk

Working on roofs and climbing up there can be risky for both humans and panels. A robotic solar panel cleaning system, such as RST Night Wash, eliminates the need for roof access for cleaners to your home or business. This greatly lowers your responsibility as a property owner.

Completely Green

A solar panel automation system that is entirely green is called RST NightWash. We only utilize soft, filtered water instead of any chemicals or their byproducts. Additionally, it uses water very effectively, preventing any unneeded waste [61].

Conclusion

For this work, a number of articles on solar tracking systems and solar panel cleaning robots have been analyzed [62]. It has been observed how they have evolved and how well they have cleaned the panels. The advantages of automatic solar panel cleaning are also covered.

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