If there’s one problem with solar panels it is the part where you have to keep them squeaky clean to get the best output out of them. And for anyone who has owned one the recent smartphones that tend to sport smooth glass touchscreens, it is easy to understand why such a thing can be a hard task. Now take that difficulty and multiply it by the dusty conditions of a desert where the sunshine is the best and you will start to see why large desert solar farms are having a tough time doing their dusting. Thankfully, one Boston University professor seems to have an answer to this problem.
Malay Mazumdar is professor at the Boston University and he has an unique solution to the whole problem. He proposes the uses of mini shockwaves to clean the surface dirt off the panels and send them to the edges. This system was originally designed for space explorations in Mars and similar where it is very hard to get some water and a cleaning crew.
The system uses a coating of electrically sensitive material that sits on top of the glass or a plastic sheet. Once this has been installed, dust sensors can send an electric charge through the sheet, causing it to ripple and send dust to the edges. Be it space dust or plain earth dust, this system apparently cleans off about 90% of accumulated dust in about 2 minutes.
According to Mazumdar, a dust layer amounting to 1/7th of an ounce per square yard decreases the productivity of a solar panel by 40%. So it is imperative that they clean the panels regularly to maintain productivity. Currently, the solar farms use water for this purpose but it is a not a very feasible option in the desert and the scale of the operation also makes it an uphill task each time.
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