Influence Laws of Dust Deposition on the Power Generation Performance of Bifacial Solar PV Modules

Abstract

Bifacial solar PV power generation is one of the most promising and popular power generation technologies for overcoming environmental pollution and energy shortages. The phenomenon of dust deposition on bifacial PV modules greatly weakens the power generation performance and threatens safe operation. In this work, the dust deposition laws of bifacial PV modules are studied using the DEM. Besides, the influence of dust deposition and installation conditions on the power generation gain of bifacial PV modules is investigated. The results indicate that the dust concentration on windward surfaces is greater than that on leeward sides during nonfree deposition but smaller than that on upper surfaces during free deposition. The particle morphological distribution and motion behaviour differ among the left, right and top inlets under the coupled effects of deposition and separation forces. The power generation gain increases when the inclination angle, PV installation height and ground reflectivity increase. The power generation gain under overcast weather conditions is the greatest among the three kinds of typical weather conditions. When the dust deposition density varies from 0 to 0.95 g/m², the power generation gain greatly decreases by 41–65%. The research findings can be of great theoretical guidance and commercial value for cleaning technologies of bifacial PV modules.