(84ah) Soiling Impacts on Hydrophobic Coating with and Without Dew Suppression

The deposition of particulate matter (PM) on solar PV surfaces reduces energy generation ranging from 17 to 25 % which results in huge losses to the PV industry. Hydrophobic coatings have been shown to reduce the PM accumulation on PV surfaces. Additionally, covering panels during the night is expected to reduce the PM deposition as well as suppress the dew formation on the surface. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of soiling on hydrophobic coatings with and without dew suppression. In the present study, both uncoated and hydrophobic-coated glass slides were utilized to collect particulate matter (PM) deposition over a 70-day period in a field study. To prevent dew formation, certain uncoated and coated glass slides were covered from sunset to sunrise whereas, some other samples were kept open during the entire sampling cycle to allow dew formation. The findings of the study indicate that the hydrophobic-coated glass slides subjected to dew suppression experienced a higher percentage reduction in soiling (50 ± 13%) compared to those without dew suppression (31 ± 15%). The difference was statistically significant, as indicated by a two-tailed p-value of less than 0.05. The findings of this study also include particle size analysis using optical microscopy, which indicates that the hydrophobic coating under dew suppression can significantly reduce particle deposition (by 60.0 ± 8.1%, mainly in the 10 to 30 μm range) compared to the uncoated slides under dew suppression throughout the entire sampling period. In summary, this study contributes to the current knowledge of soiling mitigation methods for the solar PV industry by exploring the effects of dew suppression on hydrophobic coating. By providing a deeper understanding of this impact, this research could be instrumental in developing more effective strategies for reducing soiling on solar PVs.