%0 Journal Article
%T Low-Cost Automated PV Panel Dust Cleaning System for Rural Communities
%A Derek Ajesam Asoh
%A Noel Nkwa Awangum
%J Smart Grid and Renewable Energy
%P 173-199
%@ 2151-4844
%D 2022
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/sgre.2022.138011
%X <span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">Dust accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) panels degrades PV panelsĄŻ perfor</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">mance; leading to decreased power output and
consequently high cost pe</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">r generated kilowatt. Research addressing the
severity of dust accumulation on </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">PV panels
has been ongoing since the 1940s, but proposed solutions have</span> <span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">tended to increase the cost of PV systems either
from oversizing or from</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> clea</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">ning the
system. The objective of this work, therefore, is to design</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> and im</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">plement a low-cost affordable automated PV panel
dust cleaning</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> system </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">for use in rural
communities of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA); where financia</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">l resources are
limited and significantly strained in meeting livelihood activitie</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">s. Complete design and implementation details of a
prototype system are provided for easy replication and capitalization on PV
systems for sustainable energy needs. The system detects dust based on the
innovative use of light-dependent</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> resistors. Testing and observation of
the system in operational mode reveal sat</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">isfactory
performance;</span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">measured parameters quantify a power output </span><span style=\"font-family:;\" \"=\"\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">in</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">crease of 33.76% as a result of
cleaning dust off the PV panel used</span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\"> in the study.</span></span>
%K PV Panel
%K Automated Dust Cleaning
%K Arduino Microcontroller
%K Light Dependent Resistor
%K Dust Percentage Threshold
%K Low-Income Rural Communities
%K Sub-Sahara Africa
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=119166