A team of researchers from DEWA R&D Center, Dubai has undertaken a comprehensive review of PV module degradation in desert environments. Their research proposes a new test cycle to identify defects induced in PV modules by harsh desert conditions.
As solar finds itself deployed in further and more far flung climes, it is also having to operate in increasingly harsher climates. In this article, VDE Renewables assesses how such climates affect PV performance and what must be taken into consideration when formulating O&M strategies.
US power engineering firm Bechtel’s major Soda Mountain solar project has been approved by the US Department of Interior (DOI), but only after a 71MW capacity reduction, following an extensive three-year environmental analysis of the project area.
Dust and sand on PV arrays in the desert can have a negative impact on module performance, but so too can the automated solutions available to clean them.
