Predicting Future Soiling Losses Using Environmental Data: Preprint

Soiling consists of the accumulation of dust and dirt on the surfaces of photovoltaic (PV) modules and causes a reduction in the energy conversion. Investors generally consider an average yearly soiling loss to estimate the energy yield and the economic revenue of a site for a new PV installation. If soiling could be estimated from wide available parameters, describing the pollution and the rainfall pattern at a site, more accurate losses could be predicted, reducing the uncertainty in the estimation of the energy yield and therefore the finance rates offered for new PV systems. The present work investigates the correlations between present environmental parameters and future soiling losses.