Experimental investigation of the soiling impact on the generation of a photovoltaic plant in an urban area of the Brazilian semiarid

Abstract

The global expansion of photovoltaic (PV) systems in urban areas has accelerated. However, urban environments present unique challenges, including soiling, which significantly reduces PV module performance, especially in semiarid regions. This study investigates the impact of manual cleaning (MC) at varying frequencies and under different rainfall regimes on the performance of a PV plant (LEA2) in an urban area of the Brazilian semiarid. The results reveal a weekly normalized percentage relative difference in generation (%nE_LEA2) of up to 2.59 %, when repair works were carried out on a major avenue near LEA2, highlighting that anthropological actions cannot be neglected. An %nE_LEA2 increase of up to 27.93 % (from 0.93 % to 1.29 %) is observed when comparing the rainy with the pre-rainy season, whose average intervals between cleanings are 17.50 and 12.60 days, respectively. Furthermore, while rainfall can partially mitigate soiling, it is often insufficient to restore the PV plant performance without MC, particularly in the case of bird droppings. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing PV system performance and provide a basis for developing customized maintenance strategies.