A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman
Climate and weather conditions greatly affect photovoltaic (PV) module performance and efficiency, particularly in desert environments. Dust accumulation, which significantly reduces power generation efficiency, is currently the main issue facing photovoltaic modules since it affects the return on i...
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/301 |
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| author | Girma T. Chala Shaharin A. Sulaiman Xuecheng Chen |
| author_facet | Girma T. Chala Shaharin A. Sulaiman Xuecheng Chen |
| author_sort | Girma T. Chala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Climate and weather conditions greatly affect photovoltaic (PV) module performance and efficiency, particularly in desert environments. Dust accumulation, which significantly reduces power generation efficiency, is currently the main issue facing photovoltaic modules since it affects the return on investment of PV systems. It is believed that the tilt angle of solar PV panels can be helpful in reducing the effect of soiling using the gravitational force experienced by the dust particles, mainly in dry environments. In this work, experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effects of the tilt angle and dust deposition on the electrical power generation performance of photovoltaic modules under weather conditions in Al Seeb, Oman. The study was conducted by exposing solar PV panels to outdoor sunlight for two weeks. Two of the PV panels with fixed and different tilt angles were cleaned on a daily basis, while another panel was left uncleaned. A comparison was made with the panel that was not cleaned for an extended time. Measurements included solar irradiance, solar panel temperature, voltage, and current. The output power and efficiency reached 93.5 W and 24.5%, respectively, for the panel cleaned daily. Furthermore, soiling resulted in an 18.8% power loss. The results showed that the highest output power of 79.75 W was observed at an angle of 25°, with an efficiency of up to 20.5%. Moreover, the power generated was up to 9.8% higher than that at different tilt angles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-45a70b1eb52c449ebb90df9ad237e458 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-45a70b1eb52c449ebb90df9ad237e4582025-01-24T13:30:56ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-01-0118230110.3390/en18020301A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, OmanGirma T. Chala0Shaharin A. Sulaiman1Xuecheng Chen2Department of Mechanical Engineering (Well Engineering), International College of Engineering and Management, P.O. Box 2511, C.P.O Seeb, Muscat 111, OmanDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Perak, MalaysiaFaculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Piastów Ave. 42, 71-065 Szczecin, PolandClimate and weather conditions greatly affect photovoltaic (PV) module performance and efficiency, particularly in desert environments. Dust accumulation, which significantly reduces power generation efficiency, is currently the main issue facing photovoltaic modules since it affects the return on investment of PV systems. It is believed that the tilt angle of solar PV panels can be helpful in reducing the effect of soiling using the gravitational force experienced by the dust particles, mainly in dry environments. In this work, experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effects of the tilt angle and dust deposition on the electrical power generation performance of photovoltaic modules under weather conditions in Al Seeb, Oman. The study was conducted by exposing solar PV panels to outdoor sunlight for two weeks. Two of the PV panels with fixed and different tilt angles were cleaned on a daily basis, while another panel was left uncleaned. A comparison was made with the panel that was not cleaned for an extended time. Measurements included solar irradiance, solar panel temperature, voltage, and current. The output power and efficiency reached 93.5 W and 24.5%, respectively, for the panel cleaned daily. Furthermore, soiling resulted in an 18.8% power loss. The results showed that the highest output power of 79.75 W was observed at an angle of 25°, with an efficiency of up to 20.5%. Moreover, the power generated was up to 9.8% higher than that at different tilt angles.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/301solar energyPV panelssoilingtilt angleefficiency |
| spellingShingle | Girma T. Chala Shaharin A. Sulaiman Xuecheng Chen A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman Energies solar energy PV panels soiling tilt angle efficiency |
| title | A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman |
| title_full | A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman |
| title_fullStr | A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman |
| title_short | A Study on the Performance of Soiled Solar Photovoltaic Panels at Different Tilt Angles in Al Seeb, Oman |
| title_sort | study on the performance of soiled solar photovoltaic panels at different tilt angles in al seeb oman |
| topic | solar energy PV panels soiling tilt angle efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/2/301 |
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