Scientists in Sudan have called for the inclusion of PV module cleaning processes in environmentally friendly building standards in order to take into account an important maintenance gap in the systems for renewable energies. It would be an improvement in system performance in environments in which dust and pollution are constant challenges.
Scientists from the National Energy Research Center of Sudan and Romania Transsilvania University of Brașov have requested the inclusion of PV system cleaning in green audit and certification frames to maintain high electricity income.
The researchers expressly recommended to add PV module cleaning processes to five important green building rating systems: leadership qualities in energy and environmental design (LEED), Buise research facility Environmental evaluation method (BREEAM), global sustainability evaluation system (GSAS), green star and the Bohrloch -building standard.
“In our study we suggest updating existing GbRs with a special PV cleaning and maintenance loan,” researcher Abubaker Younis told researcher to PV magazine. “This political instrument is intended to promote sustainable cleaning practices for solar collectors and ensure optimal energy performance in green buildings. By integrating such a loan in GbR, we are to complement the established framework and the effects on the real world.”
The new loan system applies exclusively to PV systems in the built environment (BE). The team outlined three admission criteria: an active maintenance plan, the use of environmentally friendly cleaning technologies as well as the monitoring and documentation of cleaning processes. The evaluation method would consider cleaning frequency, efficiency gains and environmentally friendly practices.
The researchers said that projects that apply for these credits have to submit a cleaning plan, a documented plan for the detailed frequency, method and responsible staff as well as maintenance protocols. These protocols – digital or manually – must be signed by the staff and contain the date and the materials used for each cleaning.
Project developers also have to provide visual evidence such as regular photos or short videos before and after each cleaning session as well as relevant performance data in order to confirm the execution and effectiveness.
The team found that the proposed “PV cleaning and maintenance loan” is flexible, since it must also take into account water shortages and regional fluctuations in the pollution rates.
“GbRS could assume a graded evaluation system that adapts the cleaning requirements on the basis of climate zones,” they said. “In high -ranking, dry regions, credits can prioritize monthly or two -month cleaning time plans with higher points assignments, while low regions with low torn regions offer optional credits for annual maintenance that reflect local needs.”
The researchers came to the conclusion that a company and maintenance (O&M) could have more extensive applications, but their success depends on the orientation of the practices with the characteristics of all technology. They called for pilot pilots to test the framework in various climatic and political attitudes to evaluate its performance and adaptability.
They presented their findings in “incentives to clean the photovoltaic panel in environmentally friendly building standards: a guideline framework” published in Energy for sustainable development.
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