Photovoltaic panels: A review of Cleaning Systems

Efficiency of photovoltaic panels varies depending on various factors such as environmental factors, soiling on the panel, design and tracking mechanisms. By paying attention to the aforementioned factors, to achieve the highest level of efficiency is possible. The desired level of electrical energy can be obtained from the panels that are maintained and cleaned properly. Dust and dirt formed by environmental contaminants adheres to the panels and prevents the sun rays from penetrating the surface. Efficiency is seemed to reduce 30% due to uncleaned solar panels. Therefore, panels need to be cleaned periodically. This paper presents an overview of soiling problem and the robots developed for cleaning of photovoltaics. The main goal of the study is to review the literature on automated cleaning techniques for solar photovoltaic modules in order to find out the most effective method developed up to now and identify research gaps in the cleaning systems.