e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:01/January-2023 Impact Factor- 6.752 www.irjmets.com
AUTOMATIC SOLAR PANEL CLEANING SYSTEM
Prajwal Gajbhiye*1, Yash Salame*2, Vinay Choudhary*3, Achal Ranpise*4,
Disha Raut*5, Khushal Manik*6, Mr. Bhupendra Kumar*7
*1,2,3,4,5,6Department Of
Electrical Engineering, GH Raisoni Institute Of Engineering And
Technology(GHRIET) Nagpur Maharashtra, India.
*7Asst Prof, Department Of Electrical Engineering, GH Raisoni Institute Of Engineering And
Technology(GHRIET) Nagpur Maharashtra, India.
DOI : https://www.doi.org/10.56726/IRJMETS32992
ABSTRACT
Nowadays, Renewable energy has taken a considerable step into energy generation. The most efficient form of
renewable energy is solar energy. The proportion of the sun's rays that reach the earth's surface is enough to
provide for global energy consumption 10,000 times over average, each square meter of land is exposed to
enough sunlight to produce 1,700 kWh of power every year. India has access to a huge amount of solar energy
potential—about 5000 trillion kWh annually. According to the latest research the mission targets installing
1000 GW grid connected solar power plant by the year 2023. But Solar panel is vulnerable to dust accumulating
on its surface, 18% of India's energy production is relent on renewable energy over a few years renewable
energy could become as affordable as conventional sources. With the passage of time solar panel developer thin
layer of dust on its surface sources like pollution rising temperature, changing weather patterns, nature and
many other results in the generation of dust. Dust particles stick on the surface obstructing the sunlight
reaching the solar cell. accumulated dust causes A reduction in the overall energy produced by the module.
Decrement of 6.5% in energy production on the exposure of 2 months. As dust builds up, the solar panel's
efficiency progressively declines. In order to maintain the solar panel's effectiveness, regular cleaning is
necessary. In order to keep the solar panel's efficiency at a high level, our proposal is to build a smart solar
panel that cleans itself automatically and remotely. In order to eliminate human involvement and make the
cleaning process smart and automatic, we are developing an automatic solar panel cleaner. The cleaning
process will take less time for the machine to complete because humans take longer to clean a panel than
machines do. Human damage can be prevented because everything will be done by machines. In this project
work we proposed cleaning mechanism uses water and soft material to clean the solar panel. It is used to make
this automated, easy to handle, and economical, efficient.
I. INTRODUCTION
One of the most popular sources of energy is solar power. The main energy source being used in this regard is
renewable energy, such wind and solar energy. this kind of energy is created by the Sun's warmth and light
(photovoltaic and solar thermal), which able to be used to produce heat or electricity. Solar energy is captured
using panels and mirrors and is both renewable and unrenewable since it originates from the Sun. Photovoltaic
solar cells use the so-called photovoltaic effect, in which specific materials can absorb photons (light particles)
and release electrons to produce an electric current, to directly convert sunlight into electricity. Solar energy
has many advantages such as it is a clean source of energy, inexhaustible and free, which makes it more
convenient to use. It provides light that is converted into electricity through photovoltaic solar panels. Groups
of solar or photovoltaic cells that convert light into electrical energy make up photovoltaic panels. Solar energy
doesn't release any airborne toxins or contaminants, which can have a negative impact on both the
environment and people. In addition to acidifying ecosystems on land and in the sea, toxic chemicals can erode
structures. Health conditions including asthma, cancer, and heart disease can all be brought on by airborne
toxins. Given the lack of water, the fact that solar energy does not produce waste or contaminate water is
crucial. Wind energy is essential for preserving hydrological resources since, in contrast to It has one of the
lowest dependences on other sources of energy. In many parts of the world today, renewable energies—in
particular, wind and photovoltaic energy—are less expensive than conventional ones. The primary renewable
energy sources are becoming fully competitive with conventional sources in an increasing number of regions
because to sharply falling costs for wind and solar photovoltaic energy. Renewable energy sources are already
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International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
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the most economically and environmentally viable way to power the planet because to economies of scale and
innovation. In contrast, solar energy will never run out because, according to NASA, the Sun still has 6.5 billion
years to live. In fact, solar technology in some nations has advanced to compete with traditional methods of
electricity generation in a relatively short period of time. It will play a significant role in a global sustainable
energy system in only a few decades. The environment for the development of solar energy is also ideal since
the Sun provides the Earth with enough heat and light each hour to meet all of the planet's needs for an entire
year, or 4,096 times more energy than we could ever consume. Solar panels have a significant impact on our
planet. It can help our environment to be better without using other power generation plants that can harm the
earth. The utilization of solar panel has increased in the past 5 to 6 years. which makes it more important to
keep Solar PV panels clean. One of the major issues that people face with the installation and the use of solar
panels is the cost that is taking part in it. But the cost can be drastically reduced by increasing the efficiency of
each solar panel and hence reducing the arrays of solar panels that needs to be installed. Using a smaller
number of solar panels for the sake of the required electricity will not only be cost efficient but will also help in
having a positive impact on the environment. In order to improve the efficiency of the solar panels, there are
two main aspects that need to be considered; the first aspect is the amount of light that falls directly on the
solar, and the second aspect is how much of this light energy can use effectively for the sake of generate power.
The issue that is faced with the use of solar panels is the dust that forms over it. Dust is natural phenomenon
which is triggered by various environment factors like air pollution, wind, rainfall etc. as dust gets accumulated
on the Solar PV module surface it decreases its efficiency. henceforth, it is required to clean the planner on
regular basis. Dust on the cells of the solar panels reduces the efficiency of the solar panels to a large extent. In
order to ensure that the solar panels operate at their best, a machine will be set up to clean them on a regular
basis. In order to improve the effectiveness of the solar panel, the automatic solar panel cleaning mechanism is
employed to remove dust and dot particles that have accumulated on it. It will be feasible to complete this
project with the use of the proper fabrication and controllers. Arduino UNO and an L298N motor driver circuit
are the components utilized in this project.
OBJECTIVES
1. The general aim of this thesis is to make a cleaning system for solar panels using water and soft material to
improve the efficiency.
2. Make the cleaning system simple and automated.
3. A cleaning system that does not affect the quality of the original solar panel. An environment friendly
cleaning system.
4. Design a solar panel cleaner which can maintain the efficiency of solar panels.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
As due to climatic changes there are different types of dust particles present in the environment like ashes from
coal mines and factories, these dust particles get accumulated on the surface of our solar PV module which
decrease the efficiency of solar module. As the dust that gets accumulated on solar module is not cleaned on
regular basis which results in low power output. Manpower is required for cleaning of the solar PV module
which indirectly increases its maintenance cost. And time required to clean the solar panel is more as compared
to automated or machine control. There are different methods that are present with us today for cleaning of
solar panels. Firstly, with water system, which requires a lot of water for cleaning of solar panels because of
which wastage of water takes place. And, fine dust particles get stuck on the wet solar panel which makes it
more difficult to clean. Without water cleaning system uses wipers that brings scratches on our solar PV
Module which will decrease the efficiency and increase our maintenance cost. The measured performance of
solar panel is found less than designed condition due to dust settle on solar panel and moisture content in
atmosphere settle on panel. The problem is identified and solution is proposed with solar cleaning mechanism
in such a way that reduce manpower requirement. The mechanism is prepared to provide periodic cleaning of
solar panel. It utilizes thermal and solar radiation energy.
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II. LITERATURE SURVEY
An experimental study on effect of dust and power loss in solar photovoltaic module, Springer Open.
By: Ather Hussain, Ankita Batra and Rupendra Pachauri
This study includes a thorough analysis of the impact of air dust particles on the performance of photovoltaic
(PV) model. The obtained dust samples were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope to see the
composition and topography of the dust sample particles. Data on the changes in power loss in a PV module for
dust samples of varying weights have been collected at three different solar irradiation levels—650, 750, and
850 W/m2. By analyzing electrical performance indices including voltage, current, and power, the current
study has assessed the impact of ambient dust particles on power loss in PV modules. During the buildup of rice
husk on the PV module, the minimum power value of 3.88 W was noted.
Impact of dust for solar PV in Indian Scenario, Research Gate.
By: Rashmi Chawla, Poonam Singhal, Amit Kumar Garg
This paper focuses over the impact of dust on solar panel efficiency. The amount of accumulated dust varies
with numerous factors such as geographical location, direction of wind, type of panel surface, tilt angle,
exposure time, dust properties etc. Being aware of the substantial potential of solar photovoltaics, it becomes
necessary to identify and eradicate the root causes for its declining efficiency. A multitude of studies evaluating
the impact of dust on PV modules have been reported in the past. Influence of dust has been a persistent topic
of research since the last few decades. While others calculated the losses caused by dust in its various forms,
many researched the relevant literature. They demonstrated that dust not only controls a number of PV
parameters but also one solitary one. This section gives both a qualitative and quantitative understanding of
how dust affects PV performance in significant ways.
Energy yield loss caused by dust deposition on photovoltaic panels, Dept. Of Electrical Engineering,
Boston University, Boston MA US.
By: Arash Sayyah, Mark N. Horenstein, Malay K. Mazumdar
Soiling of the optical surfaces causes both energy-yield loss and permanent degradation of the surface
properties, thereby affecting light transmission and reflection. These adverse effects are functions of both the
physical and chemical properties of the dust found in each geographical location, the surface properties of the
collector, and the climate, particularly RH, temperature, wind velocity, and frequency of dust episodes. The
impact of dust deposition on several photovoltaic and photo-thermal systems reported in the literature over
the last four decades has been briefly reviewed. Cleaning with water using effective detergents is the most used
method for cleaning. Use of a water recycling mechanism improves the efficiency of the entire cleaning system.
The efficacy of the cleaning using surfactants depends upon the type of dust composition and the adhesion of
dust to cover plate materials.
Effect of dust and methods of cleaning on the performance of solar PV module for different climate
regions: Comprehensive review, Science of the total environment, Elsevier.
By: Tareq Salmah, Ahmad Ramahi, Kadhim Almara, Adel Juaidi
This research task proposes dust accumulation significantly affects the solar PV(Photovoltaic) performance,
resulting in a considerable decrease in output power, which can be reduced by 40%. In addition to outlining the
processes of dust deposition, this work introduced the elements influencing dust accumulation. Furthermore,
the various dust-cleaning techniques were reviewed and contrasted. Future studies might create a
comprehensive particle deposition model that takes surface energy and other variables into account to
investigate the mechanism of dust accumulation.
Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning System, 13th International Conference on Recent Trends in Engineering
Science and Management, School of Electronics and Communication Engineering, REVA University,
Bangalore.
Solar power has become a source of renewable energy and solar energy application should be enhanced. The
solar PV modules are generally employed in dusty environments which are the case tropical countries like
India. The module's front surface 8 collects dust, which obstructs the sun's incident light. It lowers the module's
ability to generate power. If the module is not cleaned for a month, the power output can drop by up to 50%. By
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using Arduino programming to operate the cleaning system, the module is cleaned. To increase the power
efficiency, clean the PV modules of dust.
Cleaning of Solar Panel, International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), NCESC –
2018 Conference Proceedings.
This paper aims at increasing the efficiency of solar power plants by solving the problem of accumulation of
object on the surface of solar panel which leads to reduction in plant output and overall plant efficiency. It
suggests creating a solar panel cleaning system that could regularly remove the built-up dust (or debris) from
its surface and keep the solar power plant's production at a high level. This study also intends to lessen the role
of humans in solar panel cleaning, as doing so in the hot sun poses serious safety risks to them.
III. DESIGN
3.1 Project Description
In this project, we are creating an automatic solar panel cleaning system which will help us to increase the
efficiency of Solar PV module. The input of 230V AC is given to the adapter which converts the AC to a DC
supply (12 V, 1.5 Amp, 18 watts) and gives it to the water pump and second drive circuit. The internal circuitry
of an external power supply is very similar to the design that would be used for a built-in or internal supply.
In this project we are using the Ac to DC adapter with input rating of 100-240V – 50/60hz 0.5A and output
ratings of 12V == 1.5A. There are two switches, switch 1 is the main switch, and switch 2 is the switch for the
pump. Switch 1 is basically a momentary push button and switch 2 is a normal momentary switch.
Here, we're using the drive module L298N Motor Driver module, which integrates an L298 Motor Driver IC
with a 78M05 Voltage Regulator, resistors, capacitor, a Power LED, and a 5V jumper. Only after inserting the
jumper will the 78M05 voltage regulator be activated. The voltage regulator will power the internal circuitry if
the power source is less than or equal to 12V, and the 5V pin can be utilized as an output pin to power the
microcontroller in such case. The jumper should not be placed when the power supply is greater than 12V and
separate 5V should be given through 5V terminal to power the internal circuitry. ENA & ENB pins are speed
control pins for Motor A and Motor B while IN1& IN2 and IN3 & IN4 are direction control pins for Motor 1 & 2
and Motor 3 & 4.
Arduino Uno is a microcontroller board, it has an operating voltage of 5V while the input voltage may vary from
7V to 12V. Arduino UNO has a maximum current rating of 40mA, so the load shouldn't exceed this current
rating or you may harm the board. It comes with a crystal oscillator of 16MHz, which is its operating frequency.
Arduino Uno Pinout consists of 14 digital pins starting from D0 to D13. It also has 6 analog pins starting
from A0 to A5. It also has 1 Reset Pin, which is used to reset the board programmatically. In order to reset the
board, we need to make this pin LOW. It also has 6 Power Pins, which provide different voltage levels. Out of
14 digital pins, 6 pins are used for generating PWM pulses of 8-Bit resolution. PWM pins in Arduino UNO
are D3, D5, D6, D9, D10 and D11. Apart from USB, a battery or AC to DC adopter can also be used to power the
board. In order to build serial communication with the computer, the Arduino Uno board has been equipped
with a USB interface. On the board is an Atmega328P microcontroller, which is equipped with a variety of
functions like timers, counters, interrupts, PWM, CPU, and I/O pins.
The board has a number of 5V-operated I/O pins, both digital and analogue. These pins have typical working
values between 20 and 40 mA. The board uses internal pull-up resistors to restrict current from exceeding the
specified operating conditions. These resisters become worthless, though, and the gadget is harmed by an
excessive increase in current. The microcontroller gives the command to the driver circuit which helps motor
to run in both clockwise and anti- clockwise directions. The motors are connected inparallel where they receive
12V input through the drive circuit. As the motor rotates the cleaning structure starts moving in both forward
and reverse directions. The dry soft material used for cleaning will receive water from the water pump of 12V
through the water tank. As the soft material get wet and the mechanism moves, hence cleaning the dust on the
solar PV panel.
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3.2 BLOCK DIAGRAM
Figure 1: Block diagram of Cleaning model
3.3 FLOW CHART
Figure 2: Operation Flow Chart
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3.4 CONTROL CIRCUIT
Figure 3: Simulation circuit
IV. RESULT
A better method for preserving solar efficiency was sought after by the Solar Panel Cleaning System project. The
primary goal was to create a machine with an effective control system for cleaning solar panels. This project is a
developed prototype to expand on a new and increasing market. The project team hit many obstacles along the
way. Designing the control system required learning driver configurations, C coding and its interference with
the electrical components. The intended design was achieved by the project using the intended control and
mechanism. Relays and drivers were used to control the speed and direction of the DC motors. Also, control
code for the DC motors and the water pump were written then implemented in the system. Finally, prototype
was completed. Dust on the solar panel is cleaned by the automatic solar panel cleaning system using water and
a soft material, which increases the solar panel's efficiency. Less human interaction is required because the
solar panel cleaning technique is automatic. The cleaning mechanism is lightweight because we made it out of
aluminum. The soft substance removes the small particles off the solar PV panel.
V. CONCLUSION
We have presented cleaning and control of Solar PV module cleaning mechanism along with water pump and
soft material with introduction of Arduino uno and driver circuit. The main idea is to clean the surface of solar
panel with get accumulated due to dirt particles, which will increase its efficiency results into maximum power
transfer to the connected load. The resultant practical data helps us to study the data to get insights on
efficiency of solar panel. Although motor designed to drive in both the direction in clockwise and anti-clockwise
direction by giving command using Arduino uno and driver circuit. This project is economical as we have used
here aluminum material which is light in weight and working efficiently This cleans the surface which reduces
the human intervention and get controlled automatically by switching on the button. It will have certain time
limit in work in loop using time delay.
VI. REFERENCES
[1] Ather Hussain, Ankita Batra and Rupendra Pachauri (2017), An experimental study on effect of dust
and power loss in solar photovoltaic module, Springer Open.
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e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:05/Issue:01/January-2023 Impact Factor- 6.752 www.irjmets.com
[2] Rutvij P. Kulkarni, Mandar A. Kadam (2018). Automatic Solar Panel Cleaning System, 13th
International Conference on Recent Trends in Engineering Science and Management, School of
Electronics and Communication Engineering, REVA University, Bangalore.
[3] Nikhat Anjum, Keerthana A.S (2018). Cleaning of Solar Panel, International Journal of Engineering
Research & Technology (IJERT), NCESC – 2018 Conference Proceedings.
[4] Rashmi Chawla, Poonam Singhal, Amit Kumar Garg (2019), Impact of dust for solar PV in Indian
Scenario, Research Gate.
[5] Arash Sayyah, Mark N. Horenstein, Malay K. Mazumdar (2014), Energy yield loss caused by dust
deposition on photovoltaic panels, Dept. Of Electrical Engineering, Bostan University, Boston MA US.
[6] Tareq Salmah, Ahmad Ramahi, Kadhim Almara, Adel Juaidi (2022), effect of dust and methods of
cleaning on the performance of solar PV module for different climate regions: Comprehensive review,
Science of the total environment, Elsevier.
YouTube Video:
[7] IOT based solar panel cleaning system, https://youtu.be/PyUKoNsgp-Y
[8] Design and development of solar panel cleaning mechanism, https://youtu.be/IueNtFN_7rc
[9] Automatic solar panel cleaning system for dust removal, https://youtu.be/cmmVwmEotFo
[10] The effect of the dust on the solar panel and how different types of dust particle affect the efficiency of
the solar panel. https://youtu.be/lJHlVN2vm9g
[11] Challenges of solar robotics in Indian market. https://youtu.be/kgrNjP4V4ss
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