Impact of Different Soiling Materials on Key Electrical Parameters of Photovoltaic Panels: An Experimental Analysis
J.A. Clavijo-Blanco, D. Tur-Pérez, C. García-López, N. Saborido-Barba, G. Álvarez-Tey, R. Jimenez-Castañeda Department of Electrical Engineering, E.S.I., University of Cádiz, Campus Universitario de Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain 2026-06-27

Abstract

Photovoltaic solar energy is currently one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources and is expected to play a key role in enhancing resilience against climate change by contributing to global electricity generation. However, like any energy system, photovoltaic (PV) installations are subject to disturbances that can degrade their performance over their operational lifetime. One such disturbance, which has become a relevant research topic, is the soiling of PV panels. Environmental conditions, local climate, the type and properties of soiling materials, and even installation characteristics can significantly influence the accumulation of dirt on PV module surfaces. This paper presents an experimental study analyzing the adverse effects of different soiling materials on the performance of PV systems and their impact on key electrical parameters. The influence of six representative soiling materials was evaluated both at the single-module level and in a small grid-connected self-consumption PV installation. The results indicate that beach sand, commonly found in coastal and arid desert regions, causes the most severe performance degradation among the materials studied. While soiling primarily affects the current generated by PV modules, the results also show that array voltage can be significantly impacted in self-consumption grid-connected PV systems, leading to additional performance losses.

Key words: Soling, P-V curve, power losses, experimental analysis, maintenance activities

References

[1]          I. Renewable Energy Agency and C. Policy Initiative, Global landscape of energy transition finance 2025. 2025. [Online]. Available: www.irena.org

[2]          International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, “Trends in photovoltaic applications 2025. Report IEA PVPS T1-48:2025,” 2025. [Online]. Available: www.iea-pvps.org

[3]          D. Hassan Daher, L. Gaillard, and C. Ménézo, “Experimental assessment of long-term performance degradation for a PV power plant operating in a desert maritime climate,” Renew. Energy, vol. 187, pp. 44–55, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.056.

[4]          M. Mani and R. Pillai, “Impact of dust on solar photovoltaic (PV) performance: Research status, challenges and recommendations,” 2010, Elsevier Ltd. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.065.

[5]          International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, “Review of Failures of Photovoltaic Modules. Report IEA-PVPS T13-01:2014,” 2014.

[1]          I. Renewable Energy Agency and C. Policy Initiative, Global landscape of energy transition finance 2025. 2025. [Online]. Available: www.irena.org

[2]          International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, “Trends in photovoltaic applications 2025. Report IEA PVPS T1-48:2025,” 2025. [Online]. Available: www.iea-pvps.org

[3]          D. Hassan Daher, L. Gaillard, and C. Ménézo, “Experimental assessment of long-term performance degradation for a PV power plant operating in a desert maritime climate,” Renew. Energy, vol. 187, pp. 44–55, Mar. 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2022.01.056.

[4]          M. Mani and R. Pillai, “Impact of dust on solar photovoltaic (PV) performance: Research status, challenges and recommendations,” 2010, Elsevier Ltd. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2010.07.065.

[5]          International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme, “Review of Failures of Photovoltaic Modules. Report IEA-PVPS T13-01:2014,” 2014.

[6]          M. Abderrezek and M. Fathi, “Experimental study of the dust effect on photovoltaic panels’ energy yield,” Solar Energy, vol. 142, pp. 308–320, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2016.12.040.

[7]          E. Adıgüzel, E. Özer, A. Akgündoğdu, and A. Ersoy Yılmaz, “Prediction of dust particle size effect on efficiency of photovoltaic modules with ANFIS: An experimental study in Aegean region, Turkey,” Solar Energy, vol. 177, pp. 690–702, Jan. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2018.12.012.

[8]          Y. N. Chanchangi, A. Ghosh, S. Sundaram, and T. K. Mallick, “An analytical indoor experimental study on the effect of soiling on PV, focusing on dust properties and PV surface material,” Solar Energy, vol. 203, pp. 46–68, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2020.03.089.

[9]          H. Lu and W. Zhao, “Effects of particle sizes and tilt angles on dust deposition characteristics of a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system,” Appl. Energy, vol. 220, pp. 514–526, Jun. 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.03.095.

[10]        S. Leva, A. Gonzalez-Moreno, and E. Ogliari, “Soiling Impact on Power Performance of CIGS and Bifacial PV: Urban and Rural Environment Analysis,” in Conference Proceedings - 2025 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2025 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe, EEEIC / I and CPS Europe 2025, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025. doi:10.1109/EEEIC/ICPSEurope64998.2025.11169031.

[11]        H. A. Kazem and M. T. Chaichan, “The effect of dust accumulation and cleaning methods on PV panels’ outcomes based on an experimental study of six locations in Northern Oman,” Solar Energy, vol. 187, pp. 30–38, Jul. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2019.05.036.

[12]        T. M. A. Alnasser, A. M. J. Mahdy, K. I. Abass, M. T. Chaichan, and H. A. Kazem, “Impact of dust ingredient on photovoltaic performance: An experimental study,” Solar Energy, vol. 195, pp. 651–659, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2019.12.008.

[13]        J. K. Kaldellis and M. Kapsali, “Simulating the dust effect on the energy performance of photovoltaic generators based on experimental measurements,” Energy, vol. 36, no. 8, pp. 5154–5161, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.energy.2011.06.018.

[14]        H. A. Kazem, T. Khatib, K. Sopian, F. Buttinger, W. Elmenreich, and A. Said Albusaidi, “Effect of Dust Deposition on the Performance of Multi-Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules Based on Experimental Measurements,” 2013.

[15]        M. Saidan, A. G. Albaali, E. Alasis, and J. K. Kaldellis, “Experimental study on the effect of dust deposition on solar photovoltaic panels in desert environment,” Renew. Energy, vol. 92, pp. 499–505, Jul. 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.renene.2016.02.031.

[16]        V. Gupta, M. Sharma, R. K. Pachauri, and K. N. Dinesh Babu, “Comprehensive review on effect of dust on solar photovoltaic system and mitigation techniques,” Oct. 01, 2019, Elsevier Ltd. doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2019.08.079.

[17]        C. Schill, S. Brachmann, and M. Koehl, “Impact of soiling on IV-curves and efficiency of PV-modules,” Solar Energy, vol. 112, pp. 259–262, Feb. 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.solener.2014.12.003.

[18]        M. Al-Housani, Y. Bicer, and M. Koç, “Experimental investigations on PV cleaning of large-scale solar power plants in desert climates: Comparison of cleaning techniques for drone retrofitting,” Energy Convers. Manag., vol. 185, pp. 800–815, Apr. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2019.01.058.