OPTIMUM PV

More specifically, in the first year the project partners centred on completing activities related with a bibliographic search of coatings based on nanotechnology used in the photovoltaic industry and with developing, evaluating and optimising both new hydrophobic (HPB) and hydrophilic (HPL) formulations with self-cleaning properties and their application processes. Subsequently, they were applied and characterised in glass specimen tubes to learn about and improve their optical properties, durability and functionality. In addition, they were applied and characterised on commercial modules and processes to make them dirty were defined and carried out to monitor and evaluate the performance of the treated modules. Lastly, the project partners have also chosen, produced and characterised.

The collaboration between the partners while doing those technical activities has led to very good progress on the project, reaching the goals foreseen to date insofar as the following.

• The successful optimisation, application and evaluation in the laboratory of HPL and HPB formulations with self-cleaning properties in specimen tubes, completing their optical and morphological properties and the evaluation of their durability with diverse climate trials
• The application and evaluation of the formulations evaluated on commercial modules, minimising the effects the application of a coating on a surface layer may cause in energy production
• The optimisation of applying the formulation and the methods of application that have led to coatings with improved HPB and self-cleaning properties
• Soiling methods that make it possible to quantify the effect of the nanocoatings developed were determined
• Soiling tests were done in specimen tubes and commercial modules
• Continuous monitoring of the performance of the solar modules under evaluation
• Verifying the potentiality of the HPL solution, especially, to reduce dirt adhered to the photovoltaic modules under moderate dirtiness conditions
• Selecting, producing, optimising and characterising nanoparticles with infrared reflective properties That has made it possible to set a starting point for developing coatings capable of reflecting the infrared radiation that falls on the solar modules, which increases their temperature and reduces their efficiency, by using functional nanoparticles produced using FSP technology.

The results obtained have made it possible to develop different promising solutions with self-cleaning properties that have been satisfactorily used in both specimen tubes at a laboratory scale and on real modules where their efficiency has been evaluated using different soiling and cleaning processes. Likewise, it is important to highlight the results obtained for the characterisation of the modules treated with the HPL solution where the self-cleaning properties are clearly exposed in relation with untreated modules.

Nevertheless, the project partners will keep working on optimising both the formulations and the application processes on real modules to achieve higher performance of the coatings.