International Research Journal in Global Engineering and Sciences.

(IRJGES)
ISSN: 2456-172X | Vol. 3, No. 1, March - May, 2018 | Pages 174-179

EFFECTIVE CLEANING OF SOLAR

PANEL USING EMBEDDED SYSTEM
R. Ohmsakthi vel 1, R. Nandhakumar 2
Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Agni College of Technology, Chennai.

ABSTRACT: The efficiency of solar photovoltaic (SPV) panels depends upon the amount of solar
irradiance and spectral content. SPV panels are being widely used because of their economic and
environmental merits. The performance of SPV panels gets degraded due to factors like air pollution, bird
droppings, dust, snow accumulation, etc. Therefore, it is essential to have regular and proper cleaning of
panel. In most of the parts the cleaning is done manually. This type of cleaning is not uniform and it may
cause health issues to the workers. This can be solved by fully automated permanent setup solar panel
cleaning system with water. It uses soft powerful nylon brushes to clean the panels and has a sprinkler
controlled by solenoid valve. In conclusion, it is found that robotic cleaning and heat reduction can help
in maintain the solar panel efficiency. In future it can be provided as a permanent cleaning robot at time
of installation along with panel frame, dust detection sensor, temperature sensor and camera surveillance,
which is centrally connected.

KEYWORDS: Solar Photovoltaic (SVP) panels, Arduino UNO, Panel Cleaning.

INTRODUCTION
With the growing cost of energy and adverse effects of conventional fuels over the environment,
implementation of green fuels like solar power is on demand. Solar power is mainly harnessed by solar
photovoltaic (SPV) panels. Its efficiency degrades due to accumulation of dust and debris over SPV
panels. Dust is the most common factor which decreases the efficiency of such technologies. It acts as an
obstruction for the incident light to reach the cells, causing reduced efficiency due to lower power output.
Dust accumulation occurs at different rates in different parts of the world depending upon the local wind
conditions, panel orientation and nature of dust. Different cleaning methods are currently being used both
at industrial as well as domestic level. Labor-based cleaning method for SPV panels is costly, time-
consuming and requires technical skill, which also leads to wastage of water and energy and lacks. A
system is designed and developed in which power supplies from solar are utilized for cleaning system.
Traditionally cleaning system was done manually. The manual cleaning has disadvantages like risk of
staff accidents and damage of the panels, movement difficulties, poor maintenance etc. The automatic
dust cleaning system of solar panels has taken to overcome the difficulties arise in the traditional cleaning
and also produces an effective, non- abrasive cleaning and avoids the irregularities in the productivity due
to the deposition of dust. The studies carried out to evaluate the efficiency of solar panel for dust collected
on it for one day, one week and a month. The efficiency of solar panel also calculated after cleaning the
surface for one day, one week and a month. And finally comparing both the efficiencies it is proved that
solar panel efficiency increases considerably. Thus the developed model enhances the solar panel
performance. Various source of energy like coal, gas, hydro, nuclear, renewable, diesel and their some of
them are going to be exhausted within few years.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Electricity of future demands on renewable energy source. Solar energy is one of the most important
renewable sources. Solar energy is being utilized to a great extent in the recent times for power
generation. So a brief knowledge on solar energy will help us obtain the maximum utilization out of it. It
is a clean source of energy. Manual cleaning involves the use of laborers to clean the solar panels.

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International Research Journal in Global Engineering and Sciences. (IRJGES)
ISSN: 2456-172X | Vol. 3, No. 1, March - May, 2018 | Pages 174-179

There must be a team to clean solar panels and the team must be supervised by some personnel. Hence the
maintenance cost will be much higher. Moreover, manual cleaning may not be appreciated as there is a
huge possibility of imperfect cleaning. This will again lead to efficiency loss. Dust and dirt particles
accumulating on PV panels decrease the solar energy reaching the cells, thereby reducing their overall
power output. Hence, cleaning the PV panels is a problem of great practical engineering interest in solar
PV power generation. So, we are developing the simple and useful dust cleaning device and developed
novel architecture of dust cleaning system for PV panel using Arduino. The main motive for this system
is developed system for dust cleaning for PV system for maintaining the clean PV panel efficiency.

A Solar Panel Cleaning Robot Design and Application by Algul M. (2019)- They presented a
microcontroller based SPCR system which is cost and lightweight effective. The proposed system reduces
the effect of dusting on the output power of the PV panels. This system is designed in short time period
and also, the tests are likewise. However, more testing of the device will be done to ensure the reliability.

Water sprinkler based solar panel cleaning system operated by microcontroller interfaced robotic
arm by Poonam Chand Sharma –A cleaning of solar panel from either solar or mains supply with the
help of water sprinkler based robotic arm is implemented in the system. A software program is also
developed for the hardware by using assembly language which is useful for fast program execution.
Developed system now has an ability to utilize solar energy for cleaning purposes and prevents energy
losses generated by dust accumulation on the panel surface. This strategy is also helpful for economic
point of view.

Solar Panel Automated Cleaning (SPAC) System by Shajan K. Thomas - A successful device will
clean multiple solar panels in an array and increase their efficiency by at least the same amount that
rainfall can. The aim is to provide a non-wasteful approach to cleaning commercial sized solar panel
systems by using minimal amounts of water and power while requiring little maintenance. This system
will clean a multiple row of panels periodically. Fabrication cost of the final prototype is to be
approximately INR 30000.

A Review on Solar Panel Cleaning Robot using IoT by Reeka Narang - This paper highlights the
effect of dust, dirt, pollen, sea salt, and bird droppings on the PV systems’ efficiency. Dust has a major
impact on the efficiency and performance of the solar panels. The reduction in the peak power generation
can be up to 10 to 30%. Power reduction was observed due to dust accumulation on the panels and this
can be improved by using robotic cleaning method. has increased Power generation capacity of the solar
panels. Easy maintenance, low cost and less power usage are few advantages of this process.

Increasing the efficiency of Solar Panels using Autonomous Cleaning Robot by Ananthi. K This
paper provides the necessity of cleaning solar panels for increasing the efficiency is demonstrated and
model and working of new proposed machine with high efficiency and low cost is discussed. In future
this cost effective cleaning robot can be developed with devices like dust sensors and camera to check the
deposition rate based on that cleaning process can be carried out and also it can be made to be controlled
by remote which enable this as a user friendly.

This review discusses effects of various parameters on the solar Photo Voltaic panel, and various cleaning
systems that is developed and being used in present days. The key points of the topics discussed are.
1. Environmental factors like temperature, humidity, solar irradiance affect efficiency of solar panel.
• It is seen from the studies that for increase of 18.5 degree Celsius, the power is reduced by
5W.
• Humidity is another factor where due to humid environment, only 55-60% of solar energy
can be utilized with the decrement of 10-15%

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International Research Journal in Global Engineering and Sciences. (IRJGES)
ISSN: 2456-172X | Vol. 3, No. 1, March - May, 2018 | Pages 174-179

2. Atmospheric dust and dust deposition on solar PV both reduce efficiency of solar panel.
Experimentally it is seen that efficiency of the solar panel decreases by 30-40% for indoor set up
with constant illumination whereas there is loss of 4-5% for outdoor set up with natural lightening
condition. Opaque objects like moss tremendously decrease efficiency of solar panel by 80%.
3. Most of the cleaning system require human interface to clean efficiently, and use high pressure
water to spray on surface thus requiring high power to operate.

PROPOSED SYSTEM

Fig. 1 Flow diagram of proposed system

The proposed solar panel cleaning robot moves with a guide way and movable support on the solar panel
and sprinkle water in the required area of the panel with the help of a pump. Its operation is controlled by
a microcontroller. The robot rolls along the guide way of each array with the help of wheels. The wheels
are made to rotate at 500 rpm which is driven by a motor. The driving motors are connected to the motor
driver circuit which is in turn controlled by the microcontroller board. The microcontroller board plays a
vital role in automating and controlling the solar panel cleaning robot. The action performed by the robot
is linear motion in the forward and backward directions. These actions are fed into the microcontroller
board with the help of a suitable program. The water is sprayed through the mist nozzles from the water
container with high pressure created by the solenoid valve. Tracks and guide ways provide the necessary
support and transport of the system. The robot is elevated to the same height as that of the solar panels
and is placed on the support which is at the same inclination as that of the solar panels.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
ARDUINO UNO: The Arduino Uno is an open-source microcontroller board based on the Microchip
ATmega328P microcontroller and developed by Arduino.cc. The board is equipped with sets of digital
and analog input/output (I/O) pins that may be interfaced to various expansion boards (shields) and other
circuits. The board has 14 digital I/O pins (six capable of PWM output), 6 analog I/O pins, and is
programmable with the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment), via a type B USB cable.[4]
It can be powered by the USB cable or by an external 9-volt battery, though it accepts voltages between 7
and 20 volts. It is also similar to the Arduino Nano and Leonardo.

SOLENOID VALVE: 12V DC Electric Solenoid Water Air Valve Switch (Normally Closed) Controls
the flow of fluid and act as a valve between high-pressure water or any fluid! This liquid valve would
make a great addition to your robotic gardening project. There are two ½” (Nominal NPT) outlets.
Normally, the valve is closed. When 12Vdc is applied to the two terminals, the valve opens and water can
push through. The valve works with solenoid coil which operates electronically with DC 12-volt supply.
As it is normally closed assembly, it opens the flow of liquid as soon as power ON and stops/blocks the
flow when the supply voltage removed.

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International Research Journal in Global Engineering and Sciences. (IRJGES)
ISSN: 2456-172X | Vol. 3, No. 1, March - May, 2018 | Pages 174-179

DC MOTOR: This Permanent Magnet DC Motor is suitable for small and medium CNC machines and
for replacement of stepper motors to DC servos which provides high speed and accuracy. This motor with
drive can replace a stepper motor upto NEMA 34 size where high speeds are required. Motor runs on 12V
to 24V DC and gives upto 6000 RPM on 24V. This motor may be directly coupled with ball screw linear
system with a coupler. Reduction is possible with external timing belt and pulley system. The Motor is a
Industrial grade motor with replaceable carbon brushes, hardened shaft and skewed armature for
reduction of cogging effect.

NYLON BRUSH: Solar Panel Cleaning brushes are used to gently clean panel surfaces and remove
difficult to remove dirt, grim and bird droppings. These solar panel cleaning brush are purpose built for
cleaning solar panel surfaces and ensures that there are no scratches or other damages on the surface of
panels, with repeated scrubbing over a period of time. Solar Brushes are made of Nylon Bristles, gives
smooth and effective cleaning on panel, which protect from getting scratches on panel. Nylon brush can
clean the Solar panels easily. You can easily and safely clean the solar panels and can avoid stepping on
panels or structure without taking any risk.

MOTOR CONTROLLER: This is Universal DC9-60V 10A Motor Controller with PWM Speed
Control Switch. This motor controller supports DC Motors from 9V to 60V. Electric motor cannot be
used. The input voltage should be equal to the rated voltage of the motor.

SMPS: is an electronic circuit that converts power using switching devices that are turned on and off at
high frequencies, and storage components such as inductors or capacitors to supply power when the
switching device is in its non-conduction state.

ARDUINO PROGRAMMING: Arduino programs are written in the Arduino Integrated Development
Environment (IDE). Arduino IDE is a special software running on your system that allows you to write
sketches (synonym for program in Arduino language) for different Arduino boards. The Arduino
programming language is based on a very simple hardware programming language called processing,
which is similar to the C language. After the sketch is written in the Arduino IDE, it should be uploaded
on the Arduino board for execution. The first step in programming the Arduino board is downloading and
installing the Arduino IDE. The open source Arduino IDE runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.

DESIGN AND PROCEDURE

(a) (b)

(c) (d)

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International Research Journal in Global Engineering and Sciences. (IRJGES)
ISSN: 2456-172X | Vol. 3, No. 1, March - May, 2018 | Pages 174-179

(e) (f)
CONCLUSION
Dust accumulation on PV panels can significantly reduce their power output. While the Geographic
region is solar-energy rich, the desert conditions are quite dusty threatening the PV systems power
generation potential. The robotic system proposed by us provides a simple way to tackle this challenge
effectively. Although promising results will be obtained. Here we are going to set a new benchmark by
using latest technology and replacing the conventional methods of cleaning the solar panels. We are
saving water, time and money. In general, the technique used by other method explain above total cost of
solar panel maintenance goes around 5% of total plant cost annually but cleaning done
by robot reduced it by 2%. The robot of this kind can clean the solar farm as and when require very easily
without man power thus saving the cost and wastage of water.
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