EFFICIENCY IN ELECTRICAL ENERGY GENERATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS IN DIFFERENT CLEANING PROCESSES

Abstract

The high concentrations of atmospheric pollutants, generated mainly by the use of non-renewable energy sources, has motivated the search for diversification in the energy matrix. In this way, solar energy presents itself as a promising, effective and inexhaustible alternative in energy generation. However, the accumulation of dirt on the surface of photovoltaic panels results in a loss of generation efficiency. Thus, this work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of panels in the generation of electric energy, considering three different treatments. In treatment 1, the panels were manually cleaned, with the application of non-pressurized water, foam and detergent. In the second treatment, manual cleaning was carried out by means of non-pressurized water flow. In the third treatment, no intervention was performed on the panels. Thus, productivity data were collected periodically and the efficiency and economic viability of each treatment were evaluated. It was possible to identify that there were no statistically significant differences in energy generation between treatments.