From: Team 3 (Farah Saba, Mohamed Bakri, Siddhant Rao, Marilyn Bou Jauode, Mohamed Elrayeh)
ENGL 210
Dr. Mary Queen
Problem Statement Final Draft
Due Date: 12 Mar 2023
PROBLEM
Energy is needed for modern-day society to function. No matter what one’s political or social beliefs are,
this fact cannot be disputed. Acquiring this energy in a sustainable manner is essential as the short-term
benefits of convenient and affordable energy generated from nonrenewable sources are easily
outweighed by the harmful effects of their unsustainable exploitation. Energy sources such as natural gas,
oil, and coal contribute to rising greenhouse emissions, mainly carbon dioxide and methane (US EPA,
2015). These emissions have been proven to increase the rate of climate change, a phenomenon that
has disastrous implications for the environment and human survival (Abbass et al., 2022). For this reason,
there has been a push in recent years toward the adoption of renewable energy, with the United Nations
making access to affordable and sustainable energy one of its sustainable development goals (United
Nations, 2023).
Solar power is a highly promising renewable energy source that is especially suited to the State of Qatar
due to its high levels of solar irradiation (Javed, Yiming Wubulikasimu, Figgis, & Guo, 2017). Solar
currently makes up only 0.20% of the electricity produced in Qatar (Ritchie, Roser, & Rosado, 2022). If
Qatar aims to shift to a more environmentally sustainable future while fulfilling climate and sustainability
obligations such as the Paris Climate Accord, then the share of renewable energy in its energy sector will
have to increase dramatically. We have identified a key barrier that is preventing this shift from happening
at a greater pace, dust accumulation on solar panels. This is particularly relevant in Qatar due to its
desert climate. The reduced efficiency caused by dust accumulation makes solar less economically
viable, serving as a disincentive to government and energy sector investment in Solar technology that has
the potential to decrease Qatar’s reliance on non-renewable energy. Studying the problem of dust
accumulation on solar panels and understanding the contributing factors plays a critical role in finding a
suitable solution that would help the State of Qatar achieve the goal outlined in its 2030 National Vision of
promoting economic development while protecting the environment (Government Communication Office -
State of Qatar, 2022).
PURPOSE
The purpose of our research is to identify the different factors contributing to dust accumulation on solar
panels in Qatar and evaluate their impact on power generation and efficiency. As Qatar moves towards a
more sustainable future through the adoption of solar energy, we want to evaluate the obstacles that
complicate this transition. Moreover, through assessing the factors contributing to dust accumulation, we
aim to highlight different perspectives and suggest viable solutions that emphasize sustainability and
efficiency.
OBJECTIVES
To measure if the research conducted achieved the objective of understanding the problem of dust
accumulation on solar panels and examining possible solutions, the following measures may be
considered:
● Analyzing the statistics of dust accumulation on solar panels and comparing them in different
conditions and regions (global, MENA, Qatar, controlled environment). This will contribute to
understanding the scale of the problem.
● Recognizing the reasons for dust accumulation and why it is a problem worth addressing in this
region of the world.
● Obtaining scientific data regarding the various factors that impact the solar panel’s performance
due to dust accumulation to find the root of the problem.
● Considering the limitations, compare current solutions available for the problem, the research,
and the suitability of the implementation in Qatar.
● Conducting interviews with professors and industry experts to gain greater insight into solar
panels’ applicability in Qatar.
SCOPE
The focus of this research will be on Qatar, due to its reliance on nonrenewable sources to generate
electricity. This electricity is provided to residents through the government-owned General Electricity and
Water Corporation, Kahramaa, which accounts for over 60% of the market (Qatar Electricity & Water Co.,
2023). Evaluating the causes and impact of dust accumulation on solar panels will provide insight on
viable solutions that could increase their efficiency and make them more economically appealing to utility
companies, ultimately promoting greater adoption. The lack of renewable sources in the current energy
mix is highly unsustainable and has significant consequences to the Qatari population and the global
population as a whole.
PREVIOUS AND CURRENT RESEARCH
Background Information
Many GCC countries are affected by the fluctuation of oil prices (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). Solar panel
technology is improving, which is leading to a drop in prices, and it will “become the cheapest electricity
producer in different regions of the world” (Ilse, Figgis, Naumann, Hagendorf, & Jörg Bagdahn, 2018).
Because environmental concerns are increasing, society's interest in photovoltaic (PV) solar power has
spiked. Countries like Qatar, where there is a high solar irradiation level and vast land available, have a
lot of potential to increase the implantation of solar power (Javed, Yiming Wubulikasimu, Figgis, & Guo,
2017). According to Dr.Awadallah, a member of the Electrical Engineering department at Texas A&M
Qatar who is currently researching the integration of renewables into transmission networks, Qatar’s
sustainability goals aim to bring in more renewable energy to replace the use of natural gas, with solar
being the most viable since harnessing energy from the sun is the most efficient method (Awadallah,
2024). The technology is also highly reliable, especially in regions with a consistently sunny climate
(Babatunde, S. Abbasoglu, & M. Senol, 2018). However, solar panels are most efficient in a vacuum,
where there is no dust and humidity to affect the performance of the PV cells (Gupta, Chauhan, Maity, &
Nanda, 2020). PV cells are vulnerable to different weather factors such as solar radiation intensity,
atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction, and it makes energy
production level even lower if multiple factors are combined, such as in a desert environment (Kazem &
Chaichan, 2019). Unfortunately, Qatar is very humid with it ranging from 32% in the cooler months to 96-
100% during late summer and early fall and it has a desert climate (Country Reports, 2024). Dust
accumulation also contributes to the loss of efficiency of the PV cell, and it is one of the most serious
factors (Oh, Figgis, & Sergey Rashkeev, 2020). More specifically, high humidity, temperature, dust, as
well as soiling are the main environmental reasons that reduce the effectiveness of solar panels (Oh,
Figgis, & Sergey Rashkeev, 2020). This problem statement will focus on the factors that aid in dust
accumulation and its impact on the energy efficiency of the PV cell. The issue of dust is prominent in
Qatar since the Middle East and North Africa were found to have the dustiest climates in the world (Ghazi,
Sayigh, & Ip, 2014). The dust concentration has a high impact on the efficiency of solar panels
(Nezamisavojbolaghi et al., 2023), this is due to the dust reducing the amount of solar energy received by
the panel (Ilse, Figgis, Naumann, Hagendorf, & Jörg Bagdahn, 2018). Dust also damages the solar
panels, reducing the lifespan of the PV cells, which could discourage shifting to using renewable energy
even more (Nezamisavojbolaghi et al., 2023). According to Dr. Awadallah, the UK’s operation of PV
panels is not high in cost to maintain, compared to Qatar where the cost of operation is high due to the
dusty climate (Awadallah, 2024).
Impact
The efficiency of photovoltaic modules and their power output can be dramatically reduced due to dust
accumulation, according to recent scientific studies. When a solar panel is left unclean for 30 days,
performance is reduced by 50%, which is a significant drop in efficiency and total power generation
(Nezamisavojbolaghi et al., 2023). Soiling, defined as the accumulation of snow, dirt, dust, leaves, pollen,
and bird droppings on PV panels (Mohammad Reza Maghami et al., 2016), caused the solar panel to
have a 56% energy loss (Nezamisavojbolaghi et al., 2023). The impact becomes more significant as more
dust accumulates on non-cleaning PV cells, causing their efficiency to drop from 16% to 8% (Kazem &
Chaichan, 2019). In addition, certain elements that lead to soiling can block some cells, thus creating hot
spots, which are localized areas on a solar panel where excessive heating occurs (Nezamisavojbolaghi et
al., 2023), leading to greater panel degradation and weakened reliability. Overall, it has been found that
light transmittance for some samples in the Arabian desert in Saudi Arabia found that the light
permeability was reduced to 84% due to dust (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019).
Nature of Dust Particles:
When looking at the factors that contribute to the decreased performance of the panels, the nature of the
accumulated dust particles is emphasized by multiple sources. Dust forms a bond to the panel’s surface
through the adhesive effect of various forces: Van-der Waals force, electrostatic force, gravity, and
capillary force. The properties of the dust particles and their distance from the panels determine the
strength of this adhesive effect (Khan et al., 2023). Depending on the chemical constituents of the dust
particles, experimental analysis techniques, such as diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), have shown
that the particles reflect more than 70% of the irradiation reaching the PV panel’s surface (Mamadou
Simina Drame et al., 2021), which leads to a decrease in the energy produced. Based on Qatar research,
the accumulation of small-size particles causes greater degradation than large-scale particles even
though they are together from the same mass of dust because the small particles are distributed more
regularly on the surface of the PV cells and thus the surface area becomes more massive than the coarse
molecules (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019).
Location:
Another crucial factor is the location of the panels. Placing panels in industrial areas or regions with
generally high air pollution leads to an increase in the accumulation of dust and particulate matter. In
Oman, higher levels of dust accumulation were recorded in areas surrounding power plants and smelters
or high levels of traffic (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). In hot and desert areas the primary source of dust is
the soil, while in cities the dust originates from the aforementioned sources which include engine exhaust,
construction materials, and emissions from power plants (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). Linking back to the
previous factor, the difference in the chemical composition of these dust sources causes them to affect
power generation differently. A study found that among the different pollutants which include sand, silica,
calcium carbonate, and red soil. Ash was found to have the greatest impact on power generation, causing
a 25% voltage drop in comparison to a clean panel (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). The direct link between
the factors contributing to dust accumulation on panels is a common theme that was observed throughout
the research.
Operational Conditions:
Another factor that should be considered is the conditions under which the solar panel is operating. These
conditions include characteristics of the panels such as the type and tilt angle. Maintenance factors such
as the intervals between cleaning cycles also fall under the operational conditions. A study in UAE
concluded that dust accumulation reduces glass permeability by 10% and cell efficiency by 70% (Kazem
& Chaichan, 2019), hence it causes a depletion in the panel’s operation. The angle of the panel must be
taken into consideration as it affects the size of the exposed surface area, changing the amount of dust
that can accumulate due to wind and other natural processes. It has been found that a horizontal position
has maximum dust accumulation (Ghazi, Sayigh, & Ip, 2014) because when the dust lands on the panel,
it is exceedingly difficult for wind to clear it off the surface. Another factor to consider is the exposure time
of the panels. The longer the panel is exposed to the natural elements, the more exposed it is to dust,
resulting in higher amounts of dust being accumulated (Javed, Wubulikasimu, Figgis, & Guo, 2017). The
effect of exposure time on efficiency varies by panel type; the exposure of the panels in Qatar led to the
power efficiency of Monocrystalline panels deteriorating by around 10% for a dust exposure of 100 days
only (Touati, Massoud, Hamad, & Saeed, 2013).
Climate:
The climate of the region plays an important role in the accumulation of dust on solar panels. A lack of
relatively strong winds could lead to an increase in levels of sedimentation creating layers of dust on the
panels. Relating to Qatar’s climate, sedimentation is the most critical factor in dust accumulation, because
of low wind speed (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). Water also plays a significant role in dust accumulation as
the process of forming dew on the accumulated dust aids the adhesion to the panel’s surface and,
depending on the dust’s chemical composition, it may double the strength of this adhesion (Kazem &
Chaichan, 2019). Qatar’s hot climate increases the impact of thermophoresis, which is the phenomenon
that describes the movement of particles away from the surface of the panel and towards colder air (Oh,
Figgis, & Sergey Rashkeev, 2020). This causes a reduction in dust accumulation, but the high
temperatures associated with this effect could cause a reduction in the electric power output of the panels
(Oh, Figgis, & Sergey Rashkeev, 2020).
CURRENT SOLUTIONS
One simple solution that has been implemented in some regions is cleaning solar panels by using water.
Research indicates this technique is effective in places where dust accumulation is limited, whereas in
places with a higher level of dust accumulation, additional products or tools are needed (Kazem &
Chaichan, 2019). In Oman, cleaning panels with water minimized the decrease in power generation to a
greater extent in non-industrial cities with lower levels of air pollution (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). This
solution is highly water intensive which poses sustainability and cost challenges in countries with scarce
water resources, such as Qatar.
Aligning the surface of the photovoltaic panels with the direction of the wind is another solution that allows
for the movement of the air to remove some of the dust accumulated on the panel (Kazem & Chaichan,
2019). Wind was previously discussed as a factor that contributes to dust accumulation by raising sand in
the desert which eventually ends up on the solar panels. Interestingly, there is a correlation between
humidity levels and the impact of wind on dust accumulation. The positive wind effect on the PV cells is
higher when the relative humidity is low, but when it is higher than 50%, the effect of wind becomes more
detrimental (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019).
Tools can also be used to clean the surface of solar panels. While glass razors and squeegees are not as
effective as water or detergents (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019), this is a solution that can be implemented in
areas with scarce water supplies. On the topic of detergents, sodium-based products were also found to
be highly effective at decreasing the power reduction rate of solar panels, because of their ability to break
down particulate matter and other chemical compounds of dust. (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019).
Varying the tilt angle results in mitigating the impact of dust accumulation. A low tilt angle of photovoltaic
panels causes an increase in accumulated dust (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019). Other studies have
corroborated this finding, by studying the relationship between the accumulation of dust and the tilt angle
of the PV cells in Saudi Arabia it was found that the amount of accumulated dust decreased by increasing
the cell tilt angle (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019).
Counterintuitively, advances in panel technology have led to an increase in the impact of dust
accumulation when they have otherwise reduced overall maintenance costs and strengthened durability.
Monocrystalline panels are constructed using a single silicon crystal, this increases their efficiency in
comparison to their multi-crystalline counterparts which are made up of fragments of different silicon
crystals. In the UAE, a study concluded that these less efficient multi-crystalline panels had a higher
cleanliness factor (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019).
Figure 1: Impact of different cleaning techniques on PV power generation (Kazem & Chaichan, 2019)
USER NEEDS & DESIGN CONSTRAINTS
Primary and Secondary Users:
The government-owned utility company Kahramaa, by virtue of being the primary electricity provider, is
the primary user of any potential solution. Cost and efficiency are the biggest constraints to the
implementation of solutions to the problem of dust accumulation on solar panels. For Kahramaa to
increase the share of solar power in the energy mix, the proposed solution must make solar power more
economically appealing, otherwise there is no financial incentive to reduce the reliance on the abundant
supply of natural gas. As the general public is the main secondary user, the proposed solution has to be
effective and allow for a smooth transition to solar power. There should be no noticeable change in the
quality of service that the public currently receives.
Where:
In addition to becoming an integral part of future solar power projects, the proposed solution should be
applicable to currently existing solar generation facilities in Qatar. This allows the solution to be cost-
effective and scalable, both of which are integral to its adoption.
Time:
The two months we are given to review the possible solutions represents a significant constraint. We
believe it will be possible to find a feasible solution. However, the solution might not be as technically
detailed as we would prefer as the research would need to be significantly more thorough and time-
consuming. Ultimately, the proposed solution might not be the most effective and efficient solution, but it
will contribute to solving this pressing problem.
Resources:
Many of the solutions evaluated require resources that may not be readily available in Qatar. For
instance, washing panels is not a feasible solution as water represents the most significant constraint in
Qatar’s arid desert environment. The challenge here is that the proposed solution must rely on more
sustainable resources and materials that are simultaneously cost-effective. This is a requirement that
utility companies will take into account when considering whether to implement the solution, striking a
balance between the environmental sustainability and economic viability is an imperative part of the
solution selection process.
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