Performance of solar roof top panels with disparate particulate accumulation: Exergy analysis on an indoor lab study

Deployment of solar photovoltaic panels are significantly rising to tackle adverse effects of climate change however, factors affecting output need to be categorized in addition to latitude angle and space. It is important to consider the atmospheric impact which can drastically change output power of solar panels. This study covers dust accumulation of soil, sand and ash at variable weights to foresee its effects on panel power output. Mixtures of these particles at multiple constituents were also analyzed. Experimental results indicated that clean panel gives maximum power output of 21.37W and exergy efficiency of 7.96% whereas ash accumulation showed worst results of 2.88W power output and 1.07% exergy efficiency at 700W/m2 and 50g dust accumulation. Other parameters like energy destruction, exergy losses and sustainability index were also analyzed. Trends have been illustrated in graphs along with the change in solar intensity and dust accumulations.

Automated summary

The deployment of solar photovoltaic panels is increasing to address climate change, and it is important to categorize the factors affecting their output. This study examines the impact of atmospheric conditions and dust accumulation on the power output of solar panels. Experimental results show that clean panels have the highest power output of 21.37W and an exergy efficiency of 7.96%, while ash accumulation leads to the worst results with a power output of 2.88W and exergy efficiency of 1.07% under specific conditions. Other parameters such as energy destruction, exergy losses, and sustainability index were also analyzed.