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Experimental Investigation of Dust Accumulation on the Performance of the Photovoltaic Modules: a Case Study of Karachi, Pakistan

  • SOLAR INSTALLATIONS AND THEIR APPLICATION
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Abstract

Karachi, Pakistan has great solar energy potential. Solar energy can be converted to electricity using photovoltaic (PV) technology. Dust accumulation can significantly suppress the performance of the PV modules. This research work is the first experimental study to examine the effect of dust deposition on the surface of PV modules in Karachi, Pakistan. An experimental setup of polycrystalline modules has been created by connecting three panels in a parallel arrangement. These panels were placed in an outdoor environment for one year to determine output power, efficiency and performance ratio. The results of this study indicated that the dust deposition on PV modules can cause an average reduction of 14.6 W/month in power, 0.3%/month in efficiency and 1.84% in performance ratio in the environment of Karachi. For PV modules of 780 W, the performance of PV modules is reduced by 2.21% due to dust deposition.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A special thanks to Dr. Mubashir Ali Siddiqui, Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, NEDUET and Dr. Amir Iqbal, Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, NEDUET for their advices and support during the execution of this experimental study.

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This research is not funded by any organization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, NED University of Engineering and Technology, 75270, Karachi, Pakistan

    Ahsan Ahmed, Asad A. Naqvi, Talha Bin Nadeem & Muhammad Uzair

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  1. Ahsan Ahmed
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  2. Asad A. Naqvi
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  3. Talha Bin Nadeem
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  4. Muhammad Uzair
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Correspondence to Ahsan Ahmed.

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Ahsan Ahmed, Naqvi, A.A., Nadeem, T.B. et al. Experimental Investigation of Dust Accumulation on the Performance of the Photovoltaic Modules: a Case Study of Karachi, Pakistan. Appl. Sol. Energy 57, 370–376 (2021). https://doi.org/10.3103/S0003701X21050029

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