Evaluation of hydrophobic/hydrophilic and antireflective coatings for photovoltaic panels

Abstract

Photovoltaic modules have emerged as a crucial technology for generating electricity from renewable sources to advance toward achieving neutrality in carbon emissions. Nevertheless, the efficacy and overall effectiveness of solar PV cells are significantly affected by various aspects, including ecological conditions and operation and maintenance practices. These factors directly impact the outcome, energy utilization efficacy, productivity, and lifespan of the PV cells, ultimately influencing the economic aspects of power generation. A highly effective method for mitigating ecological factors is applying a self-cleaning and antireflective coating, which utilizes micro–nano structures and surface wettability to facilitate cleaning and enhance light transmission. This study investigates the influence of ecological and operational factors on solar PV cell effectiveness. Further, a brief summary of the basic principles and development of self-cleaning and antireflective coating is presented by examining recent research. The review reveals that soiling, humidity, and temperature negatively influence the performance of PV modules. In humid conditions, dust deposition leads to the formation of adhesive mud on PV cells, resulting in a reduction of power generation by as high as ~ 70%. In addition, it is also suggested that the application of self-cleaning and antireflection coating on PV modules enhances its efficiency by ~ 11% compared to uncoated modules. Lastly, a comparative analysis of hydrophobic and hydrophilic coatings, various coating methods, and their durability and life expectancy are summarized, and a few effective processes are highlighted for their promising research outcomes.