On the Effect of PV Geometry on Soiling: Exploring Use-cases for Cylindrical PV Modules as a Soiling Loss Mitigation Method

Abstract

Soiling due to dust accumulation can have a significant impact of the performance of photovoltaic modules, especially in desert environment with frequent dust storms and humidity. In this work, we investigate the role that the geometry and shape of the PV module can have on mitigating soiling losses from dust deposition and accumulation. We evaluate the soiling loss and specific yield of 6 different modules, one being a cylindrical module, under outdoor exposure for 12 months. The results show favorable soiling ratio for the cylindrical module throughout the year, which can reach up to three-fold reduction in soiling losses when compared to traditional modules in the study. The cylindrical module also shows stable soiling loss percentage which remains below 10% under all but severe dust events, where best-case soiling losses of above 20% were observed from the other modules under the same conditions. When left uncleaned, the cylindrical module has a higher specific yield than four of the five studied soiled modules, highlighting the potential benefits of utilizing the modules geometry for soiling loss mitigation, especially for deployment in environments where regular cleaning is not feasible.