Solar power is predicted to account for 10% of worldwide electricity output by 2030, with much of it concentrated in desert areas where sunshine is abundant. However, dust collection on Solar Panels or mirrors is already a big concern — it may diminish the performance of photovoltaic panels by up to 30% in just one month — thus such installations require regular cleaning. However, it is estimated that washing Solar Panels consumes roughly 10 billion gallons of water every year, which is enough to supply drinking water to up to 2 million people.
Attempts at waterless cleaning are time consuming and can result in irreparable surface scratching, which affects efficiency. Now, a group of MIT researchers has developed a waterless, no-contact technique for autonomously cleaning Solar Panels or solar thermal plant mirrors, which they claim might drastically minimise the dust problem. Without the use of water or brushes, the innovative method employs electrostatic repulsion to induce dust particles to detach and almost leap off the panel’s surface.
A simple electrode passes just above the Solar Panels surface to activate the system, imparting an electrical charge to the dust particles, which are subsequently repelled by a charge provided to the panel. A simple electric motor and guide rails along the edge of the panel can be used to automate the mechanism.
“A basic problem like dust may actually put a major dent in the whole thing,” Varanasi says, despite intensive efforts throughout the world to produce ever more efficient Solar Panels. Panat and Varanasi’s lab studies revealed that the loss of energy production from the panels begins abruptly at the start of the dust buildup process and can easily approach 30% reduction after just one month without cleaning.
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