Self cleaning technology used on the solar panels of space exploration craft could be applied to solar panels on Earth a new study claims.
Dust is a real problem for solar panels - a layer of dust just one-seventh of an ounce per square yard can decrease a solar panels power conversion by 40%.
When the team studied solar panels in Arizona, they found 4 times that amount is deposited onto solar panels each month. The figure is even higher for the Middle East, Australia etc which are planning large solar panel installations.
The proposed technology doesn't use any moving parts or water. When you imagine how big the task of cleaning 50 football fields worth of solar panels is, then this self cleaning technology becomes very useful indeed.
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photo credit: meddygarnet
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