Experimental analysis of dust’s impact on solar photovoltaic system efficiency in arid environments: a case study in Southern Algeria

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of accumulated dust and weather conditions on the energy generated by solar photovoltaic panels in Ouargla, Algeria, between May 3 and August 3, 2023. For this experiment, two monocrystalline panels with a power output of 390 W manufactured by Zergoune Green Energy Company, as well as data-logging equipment, were used. The first panel was perfectly cleaned before starting every test and the second panel remained uncleaned. On day 90, the cleaned panel maintained an average power of 193 W, while the dusty panel exhibited a lower average power of 139 W. The greatest average reduction in efficiency, approximately 36.32%, occurred after 3 months of exposure to weather conditions. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis demonstrates the existence of microscopic dust particles which prevent part of solar radiation away instead of being absorbed by the photovoltaic cells, leading to a drop in the efficiency of the PV module. The primary chemical elements found in dust are oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and magnesium.