Degradation of PV Module Performance Due to Dust Accumulation on the High-rise Buildings

Dust accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) modules causes a significant reduction in the electrical energy output by partially blocking the solar irradiance incident on the PV modules. The effect is more pronounced during the dry season when the environment is dustier. In this work, an investigation is conducted to understand how dust particles can affect the performance of the PV panels installed on the rooftop of a high-rise building during the dry season. Two monocrystalline 20W PV panels, deployed on the rooftop of a seven-story building in Gabtoli, Dhaka, Bangladesh, have been used for this purpose. Measurements are carried out over four months, starting from 1st November 2019 to 29th February 2020, during which the weather remains mostly cold, dry, and dusty. It has been observed that dust accumulation monthly decreases the short-circuit current from a minimum of 5.52% to a maximum of 22.31% during this period. The maximum reduction in the daily output energy during this period is observed to be about 35%. The effect of dust has been observed to be most pronounced during December 2019, which shows a decrease of over 22% in total monthly energy output in the dusty panel compared to that of the clean panel.