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<p>Particulate soiling on photovoltaic (PV) module surfaces represents one of the principal controllable loss mechanisms in utility-scale solar installations, particularly in semi-arid environments. This study employs a quasi-experimental before–after design to evaluate the operational and energetic consequences of transitioning from conventional manual module cleaning to a purpose-developed mechanical maintenance tool at a 10&#xa0;MW grid-connected PV plant in Karur, Tamil Nadu, India. Two sequential operational phases were delineated: a baseline regime (November 2023–February 2024) characterised by manual labour-intensive cleaning, and an intervention regime (March–May 2024) employing the newly developed mechanical tool. Performance assessment drew on measured monthly energy generation, PVSyst simulation benchmarks, Specific Yield (kWh/kWp), the Monthly Generation Achievement Ratio (MGAR), and an Operational Efficiency Index (OEI). During the baseline phase, mean monthly generation reached only 0.932 GWh, corresponding to an MGAR of approximately 71% and a performance deficit of up to 26% points relative to PVSyst-predicted benchmarks. Following tool deployment, mean monthly generation increased to 1.225 GWh (31.1% improvement; paired t-test <i>p</i> = 0.012), the MGAR rose progressively to 96%, and the performance gap contracted to approximately 7% by June 2024—representing a 19%-point recovery. Specific Yield improved by 23.8%, from 3.49 to 4.32 kWh/kWp. Concurrently, the mechanical tool achieved a 95.45% increase in daily cleaning throughput while reducing workforce requirements by 50% and water consumption by 60%, yielding a 9.79-fold amplification of the OEI. Cost-benefit analysis indicates a payback period of 2.3 months and a five-year net present value of ₹3,247 lakh. These findings substantiate optimised mechanical cleaning as a cost-effective, scalable strategy for soiling loss mitigation and performance ratio recovery in utility-scale PV installations.</p>

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Assessing the Role of Soiling Mitigation in Boosting Solar Plant Generation Efficiency

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月24日

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  • R. Srinath,
  • S. Manikandan,
  • Akhilesh Kumar Singh

摘要

Particulate soiling on photovoltaic (PV) module surfaces represents one of the principal controllable loss mechanisms in utility-scale solar installations, particularly in semi-arid environments. This study employs a quasi-experimental before–after design to evaluate the operational and energetic consequences of transitioning from conventional manual module cleaning to a purpose-developed mechanical maintenance tool at a 10 MW grid-connected PV plant in Karur, Tamil Nadu, India. Two sequential operational phases were delineated: a baseline regime (November 2023–February 2024) characterised by manual labour-intensive cleaning, and an intervention regime (March–May 2024) employing the newly developed mechanical tool. Performance assessment drew on measured monthly energy generation, PVSyst simulation benchmarks, Specific Yield (kWh/kWp), the Monthly Generation Achievement Ratio (MGAR), and an Operational Efficiency Index (OEI). During the baseline phase, mean monthly generation reached only 0.932 GWh, corresponding to an MGAR of approximately 71% and a performance deficit of up to 26% points relative to PVSyst-predicted benchmarks. Following tool deployment, mean monthly generation increased to 1.225 GWh (31.1% improvement; paired t-test p = 0.012), the MGAR rose progressively to 96%, and the performance gap contracted to approximately 7% by June 2024—representing a 19%-point recovery. Specific Yield improved by 23.8%, from 3.49 to 4.32 kWh/kWp. Concurrently, the mechanical tool achieved a 95.45% increase in daily cleaning throughput while reducing workforce requirements by 50% and water consumption by 60%, yielding a 9.79-fold amplification of the OEI. Cost-benefit analysis indicates a payback period of 2.3 months and a five-year net present value of ₹3,247 lakh. These findings substantiate optimised mechanical cleaning as a cost-effective, scalable strategy for soiling loss mitigation and performance ratio recovery in utility-scale PV installations.