Title :
The Effect of Soiling on Large Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems in California and the Southwest Region of the United States
Author :
Kimber, A. ; Mitchell, L. ; Nogradi, S. ; Wenger, H.
Author_Institution :
PowerLight Corp., Berkeley, CA
Abstract :
The accumulation of dirt on solar panels ("soiling") can have a significant impact on the performance of PV systems in regions where rainfall is limited for a dry season of several months. This effect is magnified where rainfall is absent in the peak-solar summer months, such as in California and the Southwest region of the United States. This paper describes the effects of soiling on energy production for large grid-connected systems in the US and presents a model for predicting soiling losses
Keywords :
contamination; environmental factors; losses; photovoltaic power systems; California; PV systems performance; United States Southwest region; dirt accumulation; energy production; large grid-connected photovoltaic systems; rainfall; soiling effects; soiling loss prediction model; solar panels; Linear approximation; Performance loss; Photovoltaic systems; Power system modeling; Predictive models; Production systems; Rain; Soil measurements; System performance; Testing;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Energy Conversion, Conference Record of the 2006 IEEE 4th World Conference on
Conference_Location :
Waikoloa, HI
Print_ISBN :
1-4244-0017-1
Electronic_ISBN :
1-4244-0017-1
DOI :
10.1109/WCPEC.2006.279690
