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Mar, 21 - 2022

Effects of Saharan Dust of PV Systems

A wave of dust coming from the Saharan desert crossed Europe last week.

Ski resorts that look like deserts, skies colored brilliant hues of orange, and air quality five times worse than ideal conditions all have one thing in common: Saharan dust, which is expected to worsen over Western and Central Europe and even bring "blood rain."

A large, brown swath of Saharan dust can be seen in numerous satellite images blanketing much of Portugal, Spain and France, leading to air quality concerns and hazy skies.

While experts rightly mention the danger this dust has to public health, know that it can also cause irreversible damage to your solar panels.

Effects of Saharan Dust on PV Systems

  1. Less Sunlight & Cloudy Skies As a result of the Saharan dust at the atmosphere, there is less sunlight reaching the ground, and therefore temperatures can be significantly lower than expected.
  2. Performance Reduction in PV Systems The Saharan dust blowing across Europe, not only annoyingly lands on garden furniture and cars, but also on the modules of PV systems – and consequently their performance is reduced.
  3. Heavy Losses Due to Dust Deposits Experts assume performance losses of up to 20%. Considering that Saharan dust events can occur between 5 and 15 times a year, this is quite a lot.
  4. Degradation of PV Panels Studies showned that in sandstorm periods, the particle deposition density is much higher, and therefore sand dust can be one of the main reasons of degradation of PV panels.
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    Saharan dust on solar panel
  • Image with no provided description
    Saharan dust on solar panel

Solar Industry Cleaning & Maintenance Solutions

As solar industry experts in contaminants removal agents and soiling mitigation & efficiency enhancement products, ChemiTek developed solutions specifically for solar panels cleaning and maintenance.

With 2 simple setps, ChemiTek can solve your problem for good!

  1. Remediate the problem with the correct contaminant removal agent for your case.
  2. Prevent your problem from reappearing by protecting your modules with the coating that fits into the local weather and environment conditions.

REMOVAL AGENTS

  • Cement Removal Agent
    Cement Removal Agent

    Biodegradable concentrated removal agent for cement dust, stone dust, gypsum and other alkali contaminants.

  • Lichen Removal Agent
    Lichen Removal Agent

    Biodegradable concentrated removal agent for lichens, fungi and moss.

  • Water Softening Agent
    Water Softening Agent

    Biodegradable treatment for hard and very hard water. Avoids limestone stains and spots on the modules after drying.

  • Solar Wash Protect
    Solar Wash Protect

    Biodegradable concentrated removal agent for bird droppings, pollen, bees’ wax, carbon deposits, grease and other types of soiling.

With our removal agents you will be able to clean soiling on your solar panel, such as:

  • Lichens
  • Cement dust
  • Stone dust
  • Gypsum
  • Hard water
  • Bird droppings
  • Pollen and bees' wax
  • and other

SOILING MITIGATION & EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT

  • Antistatic Solar Armor
    Antistatic Solar Armor

    Concentrated product for antistatic protection, specially developed and certified for photovoltaic solar panels.

    Certified by TÜV Sud

  • Solar Wash Protect
    Solar Wash Protect

    Concentrated product for cleaning and antistatic protection, specially developed and certified for photovoltaic solar panels.

    Certified by TÜV Sud

  • D-Solar Defendor
    D-Solar Defendor

    Easy to apply hydrophobic coating certified for solar panels – keeps the panel cleaner and easier to clean

    Certified by TÜV Sud

  • Industrial Glass Protect
    Industrial Glass Protect

    Long lasting (5 years) hydrophobic coating  certified for solar panels – keeps the panel cleaner and easier to clean.

    Certified by TÜV Sud

Our soiling mitigation solutions are for:

  • Antistatic protection for dry and moderate climates
  • Hydrophobic protection for rainy environments

When combined with the correct contaminant removal solution and the appropriate dirt mitigation product, you will have efficiency enhancement!

Do you have any suggestions for articles or topics you would like to read here? Reach us by email (and go solar)!