Comprehensive review of environmental factors influencing the performance of photovoltaic panels: Concern over emissions at various phases throughout the lifecycle.

Recently, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has shown tremendous growth among all renewable energy sectors. The attractiveness of a PV system depends deeply of the module and it is primarily determined by its performance. The quantity of electricity and power generated by a PV cell is contingent upon a number of parameters that can be intrinsic to the PV system itself, external or environmental. Thus, to improve the PV panel performance and lifetime, it is crucial to recognize the main parameters that directly influence the module during its operational lifetime. Among these parameters there are numerous factors that positively impact a PV system including the temperature of the solar panel, humidity, wind speed, amount of light, altitude and barometric pressure. On the other hand, the module can be exposed to simultaneous environmental stresses such as dust accumulation, shading and pollution factors. All these factors can gradually decrease the performance of the PV panel. This review not only provides the factors impacting PV panel's performance but also discusses the degradation and failure parameters that can usually affect the PV technology. The major points include: 1) Total quantity of energy extracted from a photovoltaic module is impacted on a daily, quarterly, seasonal, and yearly scale by the amount of dust formed on the surface of the module. 2) Climatic conditions as high temperatures and relative humidity affect the operation of solar cells by more than 70% and lead to a considerable decrease in solar cells efficiency. 3) The PV module current can be affected by soft shading while the voltage does not vary. In the case of hard shadowing, the performance of the photovoltaic module is determined by whether some or all of the cells of the module are shaded. 4) Compared to more traditional forms of energy production, PV systems offer a significant number of advantages to the environment. Nevertheless, these systems can procure greenhouse gas emissions, especially during the production stages. In conclusion, this study underlines the importance of considering multiple parameters while evaluating the performance of photovoltaic modules. Environmental factors can have a major impact on the performance of a PV system. It is critical to consider these factors, as well as intrinsic and other intermediate factors, to optimize the performance of solar energy systems. In addition, continuous monitoring and maintenance of PV systems is essential to ensure maximum efficiency and performance.

Jathar LD ，Ganesan S ，Awasarmol U ，Nikam K ，Shahapurkar K ，Soudagar MEM ，Fayaz H ，El-Shafay AS ，Kalam MA ，Bouadila S ，Baddadi S ，Tirth V ，Nizami AS ，Lam SS ，Rehan M ... -  《-》

Effect of sand dust accumulation on photovoltaic performance in the Saharan environment: southern Algeria (Adrar).

Mostefaoui M ，Ziane A ，Bouraiou A ，Khelifi S ... -  《-》

Quantitative impact assessment of temperature on the economics of a rooftop solar photovoltaic system.

This paper analyzes the economics of a grid-interactive rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system and the impact of the temperature on it. The analysis related to energy metrics, lifecycle costing, and environmental economics was performed considering the PV system's life as 30 years. The system economics is also compared at different conditions like theoretical, temperature-corrected, and real electricity generation data. The parameters like energy payback time (EPBT), energy return on energy invested (EROI), and lifecycle conversion efficiency are determined as 5.95 years, 5.04, and 0.078, respectively, based on actual generation. The unit electricity cost of the rooftop PV system was estimated as INR 5.37 at the 5% interest rate. The electricity cost varies with the interest rate variation and operation system life. The results show a reduction in overall economic performance on the increase in module temperature. The effect of temperature on the economics of the system is presented in terms of the per degree rise of module temperature. One degree increase of module temperature 8.5 days in EPBT of the PV system increases, and INR 0.021 increases in the unit cost of electricity considering a reference temperature 25 °C. A PV system has environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which are also affected by the rise of module temperature. The system lost INR 355.93 in carbon credits at an increase of one-degree module temperature.

Yadav SK ，Kumar NM ，Bajpai U 《-》

Examining the interplay of dust and defects: A comprehensive experimental analysis on the performance of photovoltaic modules.

The performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules is greatly impacted by dust accumulation and defects appearing in photovoltaic (PV) modules. Existing studies primarily focus on the effect of dust on general photovoltaic performance, neglecting the interactions with pre-existing defects such as snail trails. These defects are known to degrade the efficiency of PV modules. However, their interaction with environmental factors like dust accumulation has not been extensively analyzed. This research comprehensively analyzes the impact of dust accumulation on the performance of PV modules affected by snail trails. Using an experimental setup under outdoor conditions, the study incorporates thermal imaging, current-voltage characteristic curve tracing (IV curve tracing), electroluminescence (EL) imaging, and chemical analysis of the accumulated dust, to evaluate the electrical and thermal parameters affecting PV module performance. The study focuses on three types of modules, clean serves as a reference module (PV-R), normal unclean (PV-N), and snail trail-affected unclean PV module (PV-S). Compared to the PV-R module, the study meticulously quantifies the effect of accumulated dust on key performance indicators such as output power, V, and I. The PV-N module exhibits reductions of 17.7 % in current, 3.91 % in voltage, and 18.15 % in power output. The PV-S module experienced a decrease of 7.4 % in current, 7.55 % in voltage, and 14.87 % in power output under the dust deposition density of 6.984 g/m^2 having a mean particle size of 2.2279 μm. The dust deposition reduced the transmittance of glass, which indicates a potentially adverse impact on the PV module's efficiency. The findings highlighted in the current work provide a significant understanding of the detrimental impacts of dust accumulation on defected photo voltaic modules, highlighting the need for regular maintenance and cleaning to ensure optimal performance.

Azeem A ，Abbas MF ，Ahmed N ，Kazmi SAA ，Alharbi T ，Alharbi A ，Ghoneim SSM ... -  《Heliyon》

Evaluation of different models for validating of photovoltaic cell temperature under semi-arid conditions.

Photovoltaic (PV) solar energy enables direct production of electricity. The photovoltaic effect produced in the solar cells converts light energy from the sun's rays into electricity. Some of the solar radiation absorbed by a PV module is not converted into electricity but takes the form of an increase in the temperature of the module, reducing its electrical efficiency. The operating temperature of PV modules generally affects the performance of the PV system; performance also depends on numerous variables such as ambient temperature, wind speed, wind direction, total irradiance, dust accumulating on the PV module face and relative humidity. In this study different models for predicting the operating temperature of PV modules have been investigated. The models' relevance to PV module technology and climatic conditions in Errachidia city (coordinates: 31° 55' 55″ north, 4° 25' 28″ west) in the Drâa Tafilalet region was examined. The models that factor in wind data predict PV cell temperature better than the standard approach which does not include wind data. The models' accuracy was estimated based on R2 and RMSE values. A model is more accurate the higher the R2 is and the lower the RMSE is. In addition, we noticed that the models investigated are more accurate for a short time period during the day.

Lamaamar I ，Tilioua A ，Ben Zaid Z ，Babaoui A ，Ettakni M ，Hamdi Alaoui MA ... -  《Heliyon》