The system can be operated automatically using a simple electric motor and guide rails along the side of the panel.
To activate the system, a simple electrode passes just above the solar panel’s surface, imparting an electrical charge to the dust particles, which are then repelled by a charge applied to the panel itself. The new system uses electrostatic repulsion to cause dust particles to detach and virtually leap off the panel’s surface, without the need for water or brushes. Now, a team of researchers at MIT has devised a way of automatically cleaning solar panels, or the mirrors of solar thermal plants, in a waterless, no-contact system that could significantly reduce the dust problem, they say. Attempts at waterless cleaning are labor intensive and tend to cause irreversible scratching of the surfaces, which also reduces efficiency. But the accumulation of dust on solar panels or mirrors is already a significant issue - it can reduce the output of photovoltaic panels by as much as 30 percent in just one month - so regular cleaning is essential for such installations.īut cleaning solar panels currently is estimated to use about 10 billion gallons of water per year - enough to supply drinking water for up to 2 million people. Solar power is expected to reach 10 percent of global power generation by the year 2030, and much of that is likely to be located in desert areas, where sunlight is abundant.
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