The Effect of Dust Accumulation on Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Surface in Politeknik Mersing, Johor, Malaysia

Abstract

Abstract: One of the initiatives aiming at supporting green technology sustainability education in the Politeknik Mersing is the generation of power using renewable energy sources like solar. Considered as more efficient and able to meet current power needs of the community, the generation of electricity from limitless green energy sources is Dust accumulation on the photovoltaic (PV) panel surface has been one of the main environmental elements influencing the declining sun irradiation since Politeknik Mersing located in a tropical rainforest and coastal location. Moreover, in humid environments the accumulation of dust forms mud and contamination on the PV panel surface, which subsequently reduces the relative power efficiency of PV by up to 30%. Therefore, the study has been carried out to investigate the effects of dust accumulation on PV panel surfaces on the amount of output power generated by the PV system. While the lowest relative performance of 69.6% occurred at a 30° tilt angle, the best relative performance of 97% was obtained at a 0° tilt angle during peak solar hours. The relative power efficiency was used to analyse the performance of PV panels under clean and dusty conditions since there was no pyranometer to measure solar irradiation. Several tilt angles (0°, 10°, 20°, and 30°) were assessed in order to situate the panel optimally with respect to the latitude of the location and peak solar hours (10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 1:00 pm). The performance of the PV system was evaluated using total output power that is derived from open-circuit voltage (Voc) and short-circuit current (Isc). Results showed that dust accumulation affects the efficiency of PV panels thus necessitating effective maintenance strategies within such environments.