Análise da influência da limpeza sobre a eficiência de painéis fotovoltaicos da mini geração de 301,37 kWp da UTFPR Campus Medianeira - PR

Abstract

The significant increase in electricity consumption has led to a constant search for new technologies and ways to increase generation at a lower cost and in a more sustainable manner, such as energy generation through photovoltaic plants. This generation method uses photovoltaic panels, which are exposed to weather conditions to absorb solar radiation. This exposure also subjects them to dirt, which varies depending on the location and even the time of year. With the constant pursuit of greater efficiency, new technologies in the field of panel cleaning are being used to mitigate the damage caused by dirt accumulation on the modules. This work uses a 301.37 kWp plant located at the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Medianeira Campus, for study, aiming to analyze whether the interval between cleanings of the photovoltaic plant was well distributed, or if there are opportunities to increase this interval, ensuring that the profit from increased efficiency covers the cleaning costs. To validate the conclusions, the monthly efficiency values of the photovoltaic plant were compared over a period of 16 months, during which two cleanings were applied with an interval of approximately 6 months, verifying the increase in module efficiency after cleaning. However, this increase in efficiency did not generate sufficient profitability to cover the cleaning maintenance costs, showing that the interval between cleanings can be greater than 6 months.