Experimental Field Trial of Self-Cleaning Solar Photovoltaic Panels

Solar energy has been growing at an exponential rate over the past decade, and worldwide installed solar electric capacity is expected to more than double again by 2020. Madison College and the Center for Renewable Energy Advanced Technological Education (CREATE) have been on the forefront of this trend, developing and teaching solar energy education courses for STEM students. Solar panel performance is unfortunately limited in the field when panels become soiled over time, reducing their electric output. In this student initiated experiment, solar panels were treated with a nanoporous silica/titania metal oxide thin film coating to impart self-cleaning properties. Panels from an operational 1.6 kW solar array were coated in the field to model a real-world application process. The system incorporated module level micro-inverters to monitor the power output of individual panels. The system was installed in June, and coatings applied in October 2017. Data collection and analysis is ongoing. Through this research project, students learned the fundamentals of solar photovoltaic technology, aspects of solar system design, safe installation procedures, and principles of data analysis.