Systematic Approach for Selecting a Cleaning Method to Solar Panels Based on the Preference Selection Index Approach

摘要

Policymakers have become eager to move towards sustainability recently due to the growing costs of electricity and concerns about the environment. Environment friendly and economical energy sources, such as solar power, are being introduced at increasing rates. Photovoltaic (PV) panels are considered an important method of harnessing solar power. Although solar energy is one of the most efficient renewable and sustainable sources of energy, the accumulation of dust and debris on even one panel in a PV array reduces the efficiency of energy generation, thus highlighting the need to keep the surfaces of PV panels clean. Several methods can be used to clean PV panels, such as Heliotex technology, electrostatic cleaning, the use of self-cleaning glass, automatic cleaning and manual cleaning. The Preference Selection Index (PSI) multicriteria decision-making approach is used in this study to compare these cleaning methods. Data were collected via a survey of solar energy experts in Jordan to enable a comparison of these cleaning methods, and several attributes were considered. After the initial PSI analysis, a follow-up sensitivity analysis was conducted that involved removing the cost attributes. The results showed that the best method was manual cleaning. The results of the sensitivity analysis confirmed that manual cleaning is the method most often preferred by experts.