The Prediction of PV output power based on dust, materials’ accumulation and partial shadings by using fuzzy logic control

This paper evaluates the effect of partial shadings, as well as dust and materials’ accumulations, on the photovoltaic (PV) panel output power in order to detect the appropriate location of the (PV) panel. The experimental measurements and data are extracted, which include 400 readings over a period of five months in Alexandria, Egypt, in cases of 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, and 100 % partial shadings, as well as dust and materials’ accumulations. In case of partial shadings, the output power loss is 18.96 %, 29.8 %, 45.3 %, and 55.25 %, respectively. While the efficiency drop is 21.8 %, 47.3 %, 49 %, and 56.4 %, respectively. Due to the photovoltaic (PV) panel being located close to the construction site, dust and materials’ accumulation, including graffiato wall texture, grey concrete mortar mixture, and black concrete mixture, have been studied. The reductions in the output power and efficiency are 14.9 %, 67 %, 69 %, and 80.4 %, respectively. The size of the particles affects the amount of incident irradiance that reaches the photovoltaic (PV) panel. The average size of accumulated particles is 0.255 to 1.769 µm, 0.356 to 4.67 µm, 0.46 to 5.62 µm, and 0.491 to 9.427 µm respectively, which is measured by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDX) to synthesize the particle size, shape, and morphology. Fuzzy logic control (FLC) is used to predict the maximum output power in each case to provide reliable results with parameter variations, thereby enhancing system output performance.