Effects of climatic conditions of Al Seeb in Oman on the performance of solar photovoltaic panels

Human activities and climatic elements, including temperature, humidity, and wind speed, have an impact on natural dust deposition. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of wind speed, relative humidity, and ambient temperature on the performance of soiled photovoltaic panels in Al Seeb, Oman. The study was conducted by exposing the solar PV panels to outdoor sunlight for a duration of two months. Parameters such as solar radiation, voltage, current, solar panel temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and ambient temperature were collected in a short time interval. It was observed that the dust densities of 20.7 g/m2, 27 g/m2, and 41.3 g/m2 resulted in electrical power reductions of 18%, 33%, and 40% for the panels uncleaned for one week, two weeks, and three weeks, respectively. The effect of daily dust resulted in an energy reduction of 14%. Moreover, dust deposition decreases when the wind speed increases, resulting in a higher power output and vice versa. The higher the humidity, the stronger the dust's adhesion to the surface, resulting in more deposition and reduced energy output. The maximum power of output of 82.3 W was achieved at the wind speed of 10 m/s, 34.9% relative humidity, and ambient temperature of 38.5°C. The PV panels' surface temperature is always higher than the surrounding air temperature, necessitating optimal cooling to produce more power.