Abrasion resistance of hydrophobic, anti-soiling coatings for solar cover glass

Soiling is a serious problem for asset managers since it reduces the power output of solar modules and the costs of maintenance adversely affects the return on investment. Hydrophobic, anti-soiling coatings offer a potential solution to this problem. However, module cleaning can cause damage to the coatings through abrasion. Abrasion resistance tests have been carried out on candidate anti-soiling coatings with differing chemistry, cured and deposited at different conditions. In this work, we have studied the effects of linear abrasion and washability to assess the susceptibility of anti-soiling coatings to abrasion damage. Preliminary results indicate that great care must be taken over the choice of cleaning materials used. The results also confirm that rigorous laboratory testing of coatings is necessary before they are deployed at scale in the field for solar applications.