Soiling mitigation potential of glass coatings and tracker routines in
the desert climate of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
High levels of airborne dust, frequent dust storms and infrequent rain
events are some of the reasons why soiling can drastically reduce the
energy yield of photovoltaic modules in desert areas. There are ongoing
and increasing efforts to identify appropriate and economically feasible
strategies that can be used to mitigate soiling in deserts. Both
innovative tracking with adapted resting positions during night and
anti-soiling coatings (ASC) are considered as potential solutions to
reduce soiling. In this study, the individual mitigation potential of
both ASC and tracking routines as well as the combination of the two
approaches are investigated. For this, outdoor exposure tests were
carried out in desert region of Saudi Arabia. Coated and uncoated glass
samples were tested in different tilt configurations: fixed, 1-axis
tracking with horizontal stowage (facing the sky) and 1-axis tracking
with vertical stowage during the night. Both methods indicate
significant soiling reductions, especially for the combined solution of
ASC and tracking with vertical night stowage, where soiling losses can
be reduced by up to 85%. In addition, it has been shown that by
adapting tracking, the relative ASC performance can be improved compared
to fixed tilt or standard 1-axis tracking scenarios.