ALWAYS CLEAN
Acronym: ALWAYS CLEAN
Funding body: Innovate UK
Status: Project
The AlwaysClean project will establish laboratory scale verification & field evaluation that a durable easy clean coating for solar PV market can be achieved by the use of novel nanostructured additives. This coating will improve the operational PV performance by preventing dirt and grime accumulation on solar PV modules &reducing or eliminating the associated drop in power output (typically up to 10-20%, global reports data). This loss of energy has a direct impact on energy security & leading to a higher overall cost of solar energy per KWh. As durable highly repellent coatings are not commercially available today, current solutions involve periodic washing of the PV surface, using clean water which is an inefficient use of this precious resource. Cleaning also introduces damage into the surface reducing long-term performance. The coating developed under the EnergyCatalyst 2 project SOLplus reduces the accumulation of contaminants & will help to achieve a secure PV energy capability. The AlwaysClean project will enable the growth of a technology that increases the potential for reliable & robust, uninterrupted PV energy generation that can be brought to developing countries.