Efficient Cleaning Method for Solar Panels Without Water Use Discovered by MIT Experts

MIT scholars came up with a new approach to clean solar panels without water. The method, which uses a convenient and more efficient method, involves the ability of static electricity to repel the dust from the panel's surface.

Through this approach, the constant cleaning of the panels with liquid water will be eliminated, saving a large volume per dusty panel, MIT News reports.

Solar Panels: Benefits and Disadvantages

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Solar panels are most effective in terms of renewable and efficient energy collection. The most promising technology in the early 2000s turned out to be the greatest renewable initiative of all time.

But like some other innovations, solar panels have corresponding problems that could hinder their performance and shorten their lifespan.

One example of issues in solar panels is related to recycling—previous studies found how the defunct plates add to the increasing volume of electronic wastes globally. However, solutions have come up to stop the accumulation of the device's garbage.

In another problem, solar panels require a massive amount of water to clean a single surface. Although the cleaning process throws out a lot of water, it is contrasted by the need to maintain solar panels regularly.

@MIT researchers have found an efficient, cost-effective approach for maintaining dust-free #solar panels.https://t.co/s2ra4R3jt8
— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) March 14, 2022

MIT scientists explained that letting dust and other materials cover solar panels decrease its output compared to the standard levels that are supposed to be catered. With that said, it is essential to wash off the surfaces every day.

Cleaning solar panels around the world consume approximately 10 billion gallons of water annually. According to a report by Interesting Engineering, this amount is more than sufficient to supply drinking water for 2 million people.

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Waterless Cleaning of Solar Panels

MIT formulated a system that could solve this wasteful cleaning process. In a study, the experts developed a non-contact device that produces electrostatic repulsion, allowing easy, waterless maintenance of solar panels against disruptive specks of dust.

Electrek reported that the method includes trapped electrodes in a metal bar hovering over the panel's surface. This will then provide an electric charge to each of the dust particles sitting on the plane. Lastly, a charge will be relayed to the panel itself, throwing off the dirt away from the device.

Technicians and specialists responsible for the maintenance of rows of solar panels can also benefit from the discovery, as the scientists conceptualized a timer system that could activate the cleaning system automatically at certain schedules.

The authors of the new research explained in their paper that three to four percent of power reductions in an output of a solar panel equates to a decrease in revenue that amounts to a loss of $3.3 billion to $5.5 billion. It was also found that dust particles accumulated over 30 percent of the total solar panel surface in just a single month.

The solution from MIT saves water and keeps the 10 percent expenditure of businesses for solar panel maintenance through water usage.

The study was published in the journal Science Advances, titled "Electrostatic dust removal using adsorbed moisture-assisted charge induction for sustainable operation of solar panels."