ARCI develops easy-to-clean photovoltaic panel finishing

• The super-hydrophobic layer utilizing functional nanoparticles drives away dust deposition on the photovoltaic panels and cleans itself by the activity of water on the modules.

Indian researchers have actually established nanoparticle-based solar panel coating that lessens dust deposition as well as allows very easy cleaning by the activity of water, hence stopping a reduction in panel efficiency due to staining.

The finish was created by the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), an independent company of the Department of Science as well as Technology.

Key features of this novel covering are its low cost, highly transparent nature (no loss in passage or power conversion performance), super-hydrophobic property (water call angle greater than 110 °), high weather stability as well as high mechanical security.

" The surface of a solar panel having super-hydrophobic finish replicates lotus leaf functions. The dropping of water effectively washes off the dirt and also various other pollutants from the panel surface area, comparable to that of a lotus fallen leave," claimed ARCI researchers.

" But most such products established in the US and also Europe appropriate for light weather and also can not endure severe ecological problems common in India."

India has the greatest typical staining rate of 0.6% per day contrasted to 0.1% in the United States, 0.05% in Japan and also 0.02% in Germany.

The ARCI researchers established the finishing making use of functional nanoparticles, that makes it simple to tidy as well as thus ideal for extreme Indian problems of high temperature, humidity and also high toxin degree.

The layer can be conveniently applied in an existing PV power generation field by a basic spray-and-wipe strategy.

Commercialization

The coating has actually been verified busy conditions according to the worldwide standards and efficiently validated on ground-mounted and rooftop solar power plants situated at various places in the country.

Two license applications have actually been declared this technology, as well as technical know-how has actually been transferred to NETRA (NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance), New Delhi, for commercial usage.

A lot more just recently, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Marichin Technologies, Mumbai, for technology transfer, which plans to manufacture the easy-to-clean product for more comprehensive PV market fostering.